Meetings
by xXSaSuHiNaXx
Summary: The first time he had seen her, it was but a curious glance her way. The second time he saw her, she didn't leave much of an impression on him. And the third time? He wasn't sure what to think of her. HitsuNata, maybe. Not exactly sure yet. Rated T just to be safe. R&R! Previous status was complete, though I've now decided to continue it!
1. New Squad Members

"Before we begin, I would like to congratulate you all for making it this far. As you all know, once you have passed your sixth year at Shin'o Academy, you are all eligible to become great Shinigami..."

Toshiro droned out the voice of the speaker, already knowing every word that would leave his mouth. He had gone through this already, though the last time he was the passing student. Now, he was standing silently and proudly up on stage as a captain and not the weak beginner shinigami he had been all those years ago.

Without the notice of the others, Toshiro scanned the crowd of students who would be under his command as of tomorrow and etched everyone he saw into his memory. He would need to at least be able to recognize each one of the freshly graduated students. They were soon to be part of his squad and he should at least be able to discern their faces from each other.

His gaze lingered on one female with long midnight blue hair that was tied in a low ponytail. His eyes focused on the headband that covered her eyes, specifically on the symbol which was carved into the metal plate in the middle of the blue fabric. His eyes subtly narrowed.

_That symbol looks familiar, _he thought.

That's when he remembered where he had seen that exact symbol carved on many other headbands like hers before. He had read a report of a newly found world filled with shinobi who possessed high levels of spiritual energy, far too much for any normal human to possess.

If he recalled correctly, the shinobi were said to be mighty fighters who could manipulate the elements and more. Nothing he had ever heard of being done without the help of a Zanpakutou. Toshiro thought for a moment, if she was from the shinobi world then she had to be exceptionally strong. He wondered what her powers were exactly. Better yet, who she was.

He didn't remember hearing about any shinobi here. From the report he got it said that once a shinobi there died, they were immediately reincarnated instead of going to Soul Society. Hollows didn't seem to ever appear there either, so they had no reason to protect it from hollows. They could only monitor the world. So why was one here?

_"Shiro-chan, guess what? Captain Aizen told me of a girl attending the academy who's actually from that Shinobi World. Can you believe that? He said that he'd never heard or even thought one of them could come to Soul Society after death and was shocked. He was actually the one to recommend her for the academy, too! Ah, she must be really strong! I really want to meet her now!"_

Ah, yes. He remembered Momo telling him about a girl from the Shinobi World who had mysteriously shown up in Soul Society and immediately taken to register for the academy. At that time he had thought the information was unimportant and dismissed it from his mind. He had thought that Momo was just telling stories again as she was prone to do. Now he knew that the rumor was true.

"Now, then. Please listen attentively as Captain Hitsugaya gives his speech."

The words pulled him out of his musings and Toshiro was forced to avert his eyes from the woman, who looked like she had yet to notice his gaze on her or was simply ignoring it. Though he wasn't too surprised, as she did have that blue headband covering her eyes from his sight, and his from her.

Toshiro nodded to the man who called him up and made his way to the center of the stage. He turned to the eager-looking soon-to-be Shinigami and cleared his throat. Taking in a breath Toshiro opened his mouth and began, "As you know, tomorrow all of you will officially hold the title of Shinigami and will be under my leadership..."

Toshiro's speech was not much longer and to his comfort he was done soon. He hated speaking like this in public. His thoughts drifted back to the girl with the long blue hair. Turquoise eyes drifted back to her form and he began his observations of her once more.

_From what I remember, she had only come to Soul Society two years ago and by her appearance she can't be more than fifteen years old, _Toshiro noted. That was still really young.

Well, even being from the Shinobi World, she was still a child. She had probably never even seen a battlefield before, despite being raised where she was. He almost pitied the girl for what she had gotten herself into. Being as gifted as she was it didn't mean that she could take on the harsh world outside. For her sake, he just hoped that she would not be too traumatized from what she would see from here on.

"...I bid you all well."

Toshiro closed his eyes in relief of finally being able to leave. He just wasn't good with things like this and that was why he tried to avoid them. He guessed that was a disadvantage that came with the role of being captain. Though he wouldn't complain.

The young captain bid the people on stage goodbye and gave a small nod to the students before heading out.

As soon as he was out the door his body relaxed. He was just glad that it was finally over. Now to get back to all that paperwork Matsumoto no doubt was too lazy to finish. With an exasperated sigh, he left for his office.

He just hoped that he'd be able to finish early and get his much wanted afternoon nap.

* * *

**AN: **Hey guys, it's me again. Yeah, I know, I know. I really shouldn't be writing another story but this idea has been bugging me for a while now and it was really annoying, so I decided to just post it up. Don't worry to the readers of my other story, I will continue writing new chapters. I'm actually planning on working on the newest chapter of my fic BiOD. :D

Now to let those of you reading this AN to know something, I won't promise that I will have the next chapter out really quickly. I still have to update my other stories, so I will not favor this one. Next is that this will not be a long story like my other ones. I planned to make this only a couple of chapters long, so don't be disappointed or anything if I end it too quickly for your liking or something.

Now that that is said, I thank you for reading both this chapter and this AN. I just have a small request for you to maybe take a little time to leave me a review of what you thought of this chapter? It would be really nice to hear feedback. :)

Of course, I'll be happy that someone just read it. But feedback is nice, I'm sure all you fellow writers can agree to this.

I'll try and get the next chapter done soon!

Review

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	2. The Clumsy Hyuga

Toshiro sighed once more in exasperation. He rubbed his temples, trying to keep the oncoming headache at bay. In front of him towered an impression amount of paperwork which still needed to be done. Paperwork which should have been finished by his lieutenant.

"Damn that Matsumoto," he grumbled to himself.

Of course, as always, Matsumoto was no where to be found when the threat of having to do her own paperwork hung in the air. Unfortunately for him, that meant that he, as captain, had to do her paperwork. Most were already overdue and if he did not finish soon, he, along with the rest of his squad, would be in for a heap.

Another sigh escaped the young captain's lips. If only Matsumoto wasn't so lazy...

Deciding that he needed a break, Toshiro stood from his seat at his desk and made his way out of his office. He needed some fresh air. All of this stress over paperwork was not good for his health.

He gave the mountain of paperwork at his desk a disinterested look. Eyebrows knitted together, Toshiro slammed the door to his office hard once he was out. "Just you wait, Matsumoto. Next time you won't get away," he vowed.

Next time, he would make sure that she did her stupid paperwork instead of pushing it on him once more.

* * *

In a dark room inhabited by one Matsumoto Rangiku and a couple of other of her friends, the busty woman sneezed out of the blue.

One of the other inhabitants of the room forced his head off the floor, where he had been lying passed out after drinking a gallon of sake, looked up at the woman. "Something wrong?" he asked, his voice slurred from drinking.

Matsumoto gave a nervous laugh. "Ah, nothing! Nothing at all," she replied hastily, waving a hand in front of her.

The man eyed her for a moment, his gaze suspicious, before he shrugged and let his head drop back onto the floor. "Ow," he let out, the action giving his a gigantic headache.

Matsumoto gave another nervous laugh. _I better not let Captain find me. _She just knew that he was pissed off at her. Again.

* * *

Toshiro took in a breath, feeling his muscles relax. It was good to be out of the office. If only he could stay out of the office.

The rapid stamping of feet alerted Toshiro to another's presence making its way quickly towards him. He turned his head to look at the person who dared to interrupt him, only to barely have time to sidestep the person as he came running at him.

The girl slid to a stop not even a meter away and tripped, falling forward with a loud thud onto the wooden floor. "Ow," she muttered, her voice soft and weak.

Toshiro threw the girl a look. He wasn't sure whether she had purposely tried to ram into him or had tried, and terribly failed, to dodge him when she noticed him there. Either way, he was not impressed with this girl.

The girl, a few inches taller than himself, stood slowly and rubbed her head. Her long blue hair, which was braided, fell from its position on her shoulder to her back. When she turned, the headband he had not noticed on her showed itself to him, the metal plate with the symbol of the leaf glinting in the light.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow in question, this was the genius girl who graduated Shin'o Academy in just two years? He could not see it.

"Uh, I-I'm so sorry!" the girl yelled apologetically, scurrying to get up on her feet.

His eyebrow twitched, watching as she tripped on her hakamas and fell once more to the floor. This just could not be the genius girl he had heard about.

The girl tried once more, with this time succeeding. She stood hastily and bowed low to the waist to him, muttering another apology so soft, he had to strain his ears to hear it. "P-please forgive me, Captain. I-I was not paying attention to where I was going and-"

"Enough," he ordered, raising a hand to silence her. Only to realize that she could not see it.

"Uh, h... hai," she muttered and raised herself straight.

Toshiro felt like sighing once more. This day was turning out to be oh-so-lovely now, wasn't it? "What were you doing to make you rush as you did?"

"Oh, uh..." The girl took a nervous step back. She ducked her head, so that her bangs hid her eyes, or rather the headband since he couldn't even see them, and turned her head sheepishly so her face faced the wall to her right.

"Yes?"

"W-well... I was just... I-I mean..."

Toshiro sighed and shook his head, feeling his headache coming back full force. "Nevermind," he told her. Right now he didn't really care. All he wanted to do was go back to the office, which was shocking in of itself. He never liked the idea of going to his office to just finish paperwork. She was just that grating to his nerves, as harsh as that sounded. As of right now, he wouldn't be able to put up with her. Maybe when he was less frustrated, but not now.

"You may go now," he ordered.

She gave a nod and bowed once more, before scurrying away from him.

He watched her go until she turned a corridor, where he could no longer see her. With a groan, he headed back to his office. This day was really something.

* * *

**AN: **So, here's chapter 2. Not really what you guys expected, was it? Yeah, Toshiro doesn't like Hinata right off the bat. If anything, right now he finds her annoying and weak. But don't worry, that will soon change. Though it doesn't mean that they'll love each other right off the bat. For those of you who have read my other stories, you'll know that I don't like stories that have the main couple love each other as soon as they see each other much, so this will not be like it. Sorry for all of those that I have just disappointed.

Anyway, please review! I'd like to know what you guys think of this story so far!

Review

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	3. Mission Gone Wrong

Toshiro looked through the small crowd in front of him, which all consisted of his squad members. They were to go on a patrol mission to the living world to help the newbies get better accustomed with the living world and, if they ran into any, fighting hollows. Since he was captain of the squad, he was required to go, just as his lieutenant, who was standing at his side.

Toshiro coughed into his hand to get the attention of squad. A tick appeared on his head when only a few heard and turned to attention. He reigned in his anger at the blatant disrespect shown to him and closed his eyes. He tried once more, only for the same thing to happen again.

At his side, his lieutenant giggled in amusement. She brought her fingers to her mouth and whistled loudly, effectively gaining the attention of all the shinigami.

They stood at attention and awaited for orders.

Toshiro bit back a growl at the obvious difference of treatment between him and Matsumoto. He decided later on that a punishment was in order to them. He wouldn't allow such disrespect.

He coughed once more to clear his throat. "If you are all ready we'll be heading out into the living world. As soon as you are there, split into your respective groups which you were assigned to. Anyone who does not follow direction will be severely punished. This may be just a practice run in the living world, but know that danger can quickly arise," he warned them.

Making sure that all the squad members had processed the information, he continued on; "Now we'll be stepping into the human world. Remember what you've been told and you'll do fine. Let's go!"

He turned along with his lieutenant and they raced towards the senkaimon, leading his squad through. Once on the other side, he and Matsumoto split, with her going to supervise the east flank and him the west. He stopped upon a large white poll and crouched, watching as his squad spread out in groups of four. As per orders, he was not allowed to interfere unless needed. Meaning he couldn't join in until a hollow appeared. It was a way for his squad to adjust quicker.

Toshiro stood and jumped to a nearby roof, where he settled himself down on the floor of the roof. This would be a long day for him, he knew. Although hollows rarely appeared at this area, he made sure not to let his guard down.

He didn't want to be caught off guard.

It wasn't long before some of the squads in his area came running to him, reporting what they had gathered. He nodded at the information before shooing them off once more to continue in their observations.

Toshiro tensed as suddenly, a strong spirit pressure appeared behind him. It didn't belong to anyone he knew and was way too malicious to be any shinigami, which meant one thing.

Hollow.

Not a second later his pager went off and the silverette stood and twirled, pulling out his sword from its scabbard and slicing at the hand which had tried grabbing him. He jumped back onto a different building as the hollow screamed in agony, the blood from the stump flowing in thick waves to the ground.

The hollow, a cross between a moose and a bear, wreathed in pain, clutching at its stump of an arm. "Damn you, Shinigami!" it cursed, before dashing off at Toshiro.

Toshiro narrowed his eyes as the hollow approached and met it half-way, slicing diagonally at the beast and effectively killing it. He relaxed a little once it disintegrated and looked around the area for anymore signs of hollows, only to come up blank. That meant that it was the only hollow that had appeared.

Good.

The silverette sheathed his sword and jumped back to the building he had been sitting on. He took a seat at the spot he sat last at and pulled out his cellphone, in which he proceeded to type in a message.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" called an unfamiliar voice.

Toshiro stopped amidst his texting and turned to the voice. Two of his squad members ran towards him leisurely. He briefly glanced back at his phone before shutting it and standing up, calmly awaiting for the two males to report.

"Report," Toshiro ordered once they were beside him.

The two straightened and saluted him, before the one on the left began to speak; "We sensed a hollow in this area and have come to help exterminate it."

"Is that so?" Toshiro said.

The other male looked around when he noted that there was no hollow. "I see you've already disposed of the hollow." He turned back to Toshiro and gave a small bow of his head. "It looks like we were not needed here. Our apologies captain, we'll be going back to our post now."

The silverette nodded at the two and ushered them away with a look. He turned and pulled out his cellphone once more, checking to see whether his message was still there. He sighed softly when it was and began once more typing. He'd need to report back to the Head Captain soon, as well as check up on Matsumoto and her group.

He stopped when he noticed that the two squad members had yet to leave. Turning, he raised an eyebrow in question. "What's wrong you two? Why are you still here?"

The two shared a look with each other, before looking back at the captain. It was the one on the right to speak; "Captain Hitsugaya, do you think you can forgive us for our actions?"

Toshiro's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What actions? "What are you two talking abou-"

His eyes widened as a blade pierced through his stomach and he coughed out some blood. The blade's owner smirked in satisfaction, before twisting the blade which earned a grunt from the captain.

Toshiro backed away as he dropped his phone and his hand shot to the hilt of his sword, intent on fighting back against the two. But before he could, the second squad member quickly performed a kido to stop him.

"**Bakudo #9: Geki!**" the man quickly drew the symbol in the air, yelling the name as his body glowed red.

Toshiro's hand halted as he was paralyzed. He seethed, glaring at the two. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded.

The one on the right smirked viciously and lifted his sword. "You see Captain," he began, "I just don't like you. Now die!"

He charged at the captain, his blood-stained sword glinting in the sun's light as he lifted it to his side. With a graceful swing, he lashed at the captain, only to be stopped in mid-air.

"**Bakudō #63: **Sajō Sabaku!"****

A long, thick rope made of energy shot at the attacking man and wound around his torso, binding him. With a strong pull from the kido's owner, he flew at his comrade, knocking him out and disabling the kido holding the captain, who had looked ready to escape and strike the man down. The two grunted in pain and quickly got up as soon as the kido was off of them, and glared behind them at their offender.

"Dammit, we just about had him!" the right one yelled.

"Who the hell are you?" the other questioned.

Toshiro blinked at the figure standing not too far from the two, hand still outstretched from the spell. There, in all her glory, stood Hinata Hyuga, hair tied into a thick braid and headband still covering her eyes. Briefly, the captain wondered how she could see in it, though forced the thought away.

"Thanks for the help," Toshiro told her, "I can handle it from here."

Suddenly, the silverette fell to one knee, clutching his stomach where he had been stabbed. His body trembled at the pain racking his body. It was much more than he should be experiencing.

The male that stabbed him smirked at his fallen form. "I knew I wouldn't be able to beat a captain on my own, so I had smeared a poison on my blade to increase the pain from any injuries I may have dealt you by ten times. You're no doubt too much in pain right now to even stand up," he told him.

Toshiro spat out blood from his mouth and glared at the two. He was foolish to have let his guard down even around his men. He hadn't thought that there was someone here who wanted to kill him. If he only had known...

"Now then, to deal with you," the man who stabbed Toshiro said, turning to the girl. "But before we do that, I think it's only polite to tell you the name of your killers. I'm Majitani Seiryu."

"I'm Joe Matatani, it'll be a pleasure to kill you," the other spoke.

And together, they shouted, "Now die!"

The two charged at the girl and Toshiro wished he could help her, though his wound would not let him. He growled in anger and opened his mouth to yell for her to run, only to have his eyes widen when he saw her draw her sword and felt her spiritual energy spike at that moment.

**"Bathe in the Enemy's Blood, Hiei!" **she shouted, calling forth her Zanpakuto.

A strong gust of wind sprang forth from Hinata as her dark blue energy engulfed her, masking person her from their eyes. As soon as her energy appeared it disappeared as well, leaving the girl standing in its place with the same-looking Zanpakuto clutched in her arms. Toshiro's eyebrows furrowed when he spotted no change in her or the Zanpakuto. Had she really released her Zanpakuto?

"Ha!" Joe laughed mockingly, pointing at Hinata's sword, "Was that a release? All you did was release a little of your energy! You're still weak!"

"You must have your release of energy confused with your release of Zanpakuto. Pathetic," Majitani sneered.

Hinata didn't reply back, making Toshiro wonder what was going through her head. She smirked finally and pointed her sword at them threateningly, challenging them.

The two didn't like this.

They charged at her with a battle cry and swiped their swords at her, effectively slicing her to pieces. Blood sprang forth from her body and Toshiro winced, feeling guilty at having her get involved in this and killed.

The two laughed derisively. "That's what you get for challenging us."

Suddenly, her sliced body dispersed into the air, leaving nothing behind. What they had thought was blood disappeared as well, leaving behind not even a trace. Toshiro gasped in shock when blood burst from their bodies, falling to the ground with a loud _splat! _They cried in pain and fell to the ground, their swords dropping beside them as they wreathed in pain.

Hinata appeared not a second later in front of Toshiro and sheathed her sword, before kneeling down beside him. "Are you alright, Captain?" she asked in a soft voice, ignoring the screams of agony behind her.

Toshiro blinked in astonishment, unable to answer. Finally, he opened his mouth to say, "What about those two? They-"

"They were being controlled by a hollow," Hinata interrupted him, despite knowing that she was being disrespectful. She smiled, though he knew it was not out of happiness, and turned behind her. "Unfortunately, they're already dead. The hollow had killed them as soon as it took control."

"Hollow...? What about the hollow?" Toshiro questioned, inwardly feeling stupid of himself to have let his guard down.

"It's inside them. The screams aren't coming from them, but the hollows. Now that I've killed their bodies, the hollows should have died too," she explained.

He eyed the girl in front of him suspiciously, still remembering how he had been deceived by the hollow inside the two's bodies. "How do you know this?" he finally asked the question plaguing his mind.

She only smiled secretively. "I can _see,_" she said cryptically.

He raised an eyebrow in question, silently demanding her to elaborate further, only for her to shake her head. He frowned at the disrespect she was showing him, but decided to excuse it this one time.

"Why hadn't my pager gone off, though," he mused, pulling out his cellphone.

"The two's spiritual pressure was masking them from us. Unless you had eyes that could see inside the bodies, you wouldn't be able to tell. That was one of its abilities; to use their victim's energy to mask themselves. It's why they've been able to go undetected for so long and have killed so many Shinigami already," Hinata answered.

"But how...?"

"I had been specifically asked by the Head Captain to search the area for the two hollows before we came to the living world. He knew that they would appear with such a large amount of Shinigami in the area and had said that with my eyes, I should be able to discern them. It was a special mission I was given," Hinata said.

She laughed sheepishly and looked away from him. "I actually wasn't supposed to tell you all of that," she confessed.

Her eyes...? Wait a minute! This whole practice patrol for the new Shinigami was actually a ploy to get the two hollows to show themselves! He had been wondering why the sudden need to let the new shinigami out for practice in the living world, and now he knew. Head Captain was just using them. Why hadn't he found out sooner? It was obvious that something was up, considering how a mission like this wasn't normal. He should have known something was wrong.

Now he just felt stupid.

"So, Captain Hitsugaya... Is it okay if I check your wound? I may not be very good at healing kido, but I think I can help you out," she said.

Toshiro blinked as he remembered about the wound. He winced at the pain; now that he was paying attention to it again, he could feel just how bad it hurt, and more. He nodded to her and dropped his hands to his side, allowing her to see the wound.

She frowned thoughtfully as she checked the wound, or at least he thought she was checking it. She had that headband over her eyes so he couldn't tell. Which the question still stands: how could she see with it? By her earlier words, he got that she was not blind, yet she could walk around perfectly and even _see _the enemy.

She was strange.

"Hold on a second, I'm gonna try something. It's a little different from healing kido, but it should work the same," she told him.

He nodded and waited for what she was going to do. She moved her hands to each other and made handsigns, before stopping when a sickly green glow surrounded her right hand. He had no doubt it was her energy, though it felt a little different from what he knew to be spiritual energy. Maybe it was something else?

Hinata pressed her hands to his wound and allowed her energy to seep into it, mending the wound in rapid speed. It took a total of five minutes before she was finished. She gave a sigh of relief and leaned back, allowing Toshiro to take a look at his now healed stomach.

He pressed a hand lightly to his stomach, prodding it a little in an attempt to find the wound he had had, only to come up with nothing. It was really gone. He looked up at her with astonished eyes. "Thank you, Hyuga," he said after a moment.

He was still surprised that this weak-looking girl who had tripped over her own pant legs could do this much. He had thought of her as nothing but weak. And now? Now he knew that she was anything but that. She had taken out those two without breaking a sweat and had still been able to heal his wound easily. From what he got, she could easily make seventh seat on his squad. To think she was so strong.

"Well," Hinata began, standing up. "I'll go take a look at those two," she gestured to the two dead Shinigami with her head, before standing up and walking to them.

...only to trip on her hakamas and fall flat on her face.

"Ow..." she mumbled, pushing herself up and rubbing her face gingerly.

Toshiro sweat-dropped; maybe he had spoken a little too soon.

* * *

**AN: **So, here's the third and final chapter of Meetings. It's a little longer than the last two, so I hope you guys enjoy. I haven't checked over it yet, meaning that mistakes are just littered all over the chapter. I apologize for that. Anyway, I have a question for all of you, which I'm hoping I'll get a reply back.

**IMPORTANT QUESTION: **Would you guys like me to continue with this story?

You see, the reason I'm asking this question is because I had originally planned for it to only be a three-shot. But after some thought, I'm wondering if I should maybe continue further with this story. Of course, I'd have to plan something for the end. So please review me your answer. If I get 5 reviews telling me to continue, I'll put it on my 'probably' list. If I get 10 reviews, I will continue this for sure.

This might seem a little harsh or unfair to you guys, but I need to know that there are actually people here who enjoy reading this story. I wrote it at first for fun, so now that it's done I don't really have a reason to continue. So give me a reason by telling me to do so.

Until I decide, the status for this story will be 'Complete' for now.

Or maybe forever.

That really depends on you.

Well, ja ne!


	4. Important AN

**AN: **Hey guys, it's me Hina! You remember how in chapter 3 I said that if I get 5 reviews telling me to continue, that I'd consider it? And that if I get 10 that I'll definitely continue? Well I got (surprisingly) a lot of reviews asking for me to continue. If I remember correctly, there were about fourteen people who asked for me to continue, with some of them asking twice. That just made me so happy, as I didn't expect to get so many reviews. :D You guys are just amazing!

Anyway, as I'm sure you guys have already guessed, I will be continuing this story. How could I not? A lot of you guys requested it and now I honestly want to continue. I just can't say no to all those reviewers, as well as all readers, though mostly reviewers (I just love reviews!). I know, shameful, right? Yeah...

Back to business, I'd like to say that although I'm going to continue this story, I still have not yet come up with a good ending, or even when to end it. I haven't read the Thousand Year Blood War arc, so until I have, it's not guaranteed that I'll be going that far. I know almost for sure, though, that the Arrancar arc will be in this story, so look out. Now, I have come up with a few ideas, which I find quite interesting and would like to use, and I've got a hazy idea of what's going to happen in this, so with those things in mind I'm gonna start writing the next chapter.

Now a little advanced warning, this story might not make sense at times. While I do have some ideas for this story, that doesn't mean I have everything planned. If you know me, or have read some of my other fics, you'll know that I don't plan out much (with Better is One Day being a small exception). I usually just get a vague idea of what I want and from that allow my fingers to type the story. That being said, do not be surprised if you find a lot of mistakes or weird and crazy moments in this story.

Now that I have said almost everything I need to, there is only one thing you readers should know. Well, two... The first is, this will probably not have regular updates, meaning they'll be sporadic. I still have my other fics to update as well as school and life to focus on, so I'm sure you can guess how hard it'll be to update this regularly. Next thing I want to say is that I'm going to be putting Hinata's pov into this story. I'm not used to doing Toshiro's pov - it's actually my first time - so it's a little hard. Plus, I used to using Hinata's pov and I find it a little easier for me. So I'm going to aim on having even amounts of both, so you readers can know what's going on with the two of them.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be just in their pov. I'm probably gonna add the others' too, like maybe Aizen's or Ichigo's or something. That way you'll know how they see the situations their in. It'll be interesting! :D

Well, that's all I got to say, or I think it is. If I find that I've left something out, I'll just put up another AN before the chapter or I'll put in either on the beginning or end of the next chapter. This story will now be set as 'incomplete', as it's a positive that I'm continuing it. :)

That's all for now! Until next time!


	5. Everyday Life

It had been three months now since the mission to the living world. During those three months Toshiro spent most most if his time in his office doing paperwork or doing some research on Hinata and the world she had come from. Despite asking the Head Captain about Hinata, all he was able to get back was that she was an important asset to Soul Society and her powers wasn't something he needed to concern himself about. So thst was why he decided to do some rrsearch on her. Unfortunately, he had yet to uncover anything.

Toshiro gave a long, exhausted sigh and leaned his back against the rest of the chair. He brought his hand to his head and rubbed at his temples to rid himself of the growing headache. He still had all this paperwork to finish no thanks to Matsumoto and all this thinking wasn't helping him.

_Ugh, damn that Matsumoto! Making me finish all her paperwork which she should've been finished a week ago! _He groaned as he stared at the large stack of paperwork on his desk.

This was going to take a while.

Sitting up, Toshiro grabbed the pen and picked up one of the top papers on the stacks to look at. His eyes scanned the page and he furrowed his eyebrows. Setting the pen down, he opened the second drawer to his right for the document he needed. His body froze upon the sight of the drawer's contents.

There. Sake. Lots of it. So much, that it filled the whole drawer.

A tick appeared on the silverette's forehead. "MATSUMOTO!"

* * *

Hinata gave a sigh of relief as she wiped at her sweaty forehead. She, along with the rest of the newbies of Squad 10, were put in charge of cleaning the barracks. Despite this being the job of the no rank members of the squad, she was still ordered to do it. She had been promoted to 7th rank after that incident a few months ago, which she was still surprised about the promotion. But despite that, she was still given jobs that were reserved for the no rank shinigami of Squad 10.

She didn't mind though. It kept her busy in between her training sessions so she was glad. It beat having nothing to do when she was free, that was for sure.

"Hi-na-ta-chan!"

The blunette turned to the voice and started when she felt a weight appear on her shoulders. Strawberry-blonde strands of hair ticked her cheeks and she turned, only to inwardly cringe at the smell of alcohol coming from a specific lieutenant.

"How are you?" she sang out, her words slightly slurred.

"I-I'm fine, lieutenant Matsumoto," Hinata replied hesitantly.

The busty woman wrapped her other hand around the blunette's shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. She rubbed her cheek against the shorter girl's and purred, "Aw, you're so cute! I just want to eat you up!"

Hinata wrapped an arm around her waist and patted her back hesitantly, her cheeks heating at being cooed at by her superior. "Th-thank you, lieutenant Matsumoto."

"No need for the 'lieutenant Matsumoto' stuff! Just call me Rangiku, Hinata-chan," Rangiku told her.

Hinata's blush darkened and she smiled nervously. "Umm... A-alright, lieu... Rangiku-san," she replied.

The lieutenant pulled back and gripped Hinata's shoulders, suddenly pushing her forward. "Alright, now that that's settled, let's go drink!"

"E-eh?!" Hinata let out.

"We're friends now, right? So we should celebrate!" Rangiku told her.

"B-but wouldn't Captain Hitsugaya be angry? And I don't t-think it's wise to drink so early in the day," Hinata quickly objected.

"Nonsense! We'll be fine," Rangiku assured her. "We'll just grab Nanao-chan and Momo-chan and everyone else and it'll be like a girl's day out or something. It'll be fun!"

Hinata mentally sighed but did nothing as she allowed her superior to push her along. It's not like she could say no anyway. While she was underaged to drink, she doubted that Rangiku would let her go. She might not have been in the squad for a long time, but she already knew that it was no use arguing with her. She just hoped that she wouldn't get in trouble for this.

* * *

"You're Hinata Hyuga, right?"

Hinata turned her head to look at the source of the voice. The loud chattering from Rangiku and the others girls by the table beside hers made it hard to hear the slightly gruff, but still feminine voice, but she still picked up on it thanks to her sharp ears. Her eyes widened upon meeting with familiar violet eyes. "K-K-Kuchiki-san!" she stuttered out in surprise.

The woman beside her smiled a close-lip smile and Hinata could see amusement dancing in those pretty orbs of hers. "That's right. I'm Rukia Kuchiki, from the 13th Squad. I've heard much about you."

Hinata pushed herself so she was standing and she bowed low to the waist. "A-ah, yes! I've heard much about you too, Kuchiki-san. It's an honor to meet you," she said.

"Please," Rukia began, waving a hand in front of her, "none of that 'Kuchiki-san' stuff. Just call me Rukia."

"R-Rukia-san," she tested the name on her lips and gave a small nervous smile at the sound of it. "Alright, if that is what you wish."

The two sat on the chairs in their booth and Hinata picked up her cup of nice hot oolong tea. She took a sip, feeling awkward sitting together with the noble. She had heard of the Kuchiki clan, though everyone here knew of them. They were one of the Four Great Noble families. The current head was none other than Byakuya Kuchiha, who was also the captain of Squad 6.

"So, you're the girl that everyone's making a fuss about," Rukia began, gaining Hinata's attention. "They say you graduated the academy in a year and have already made 7th Seat in Squad 10. Now that I've seen you, I can tell that you're strong."

Hinata blushed at the praise and ducked her head. "Th-thank you, Rukia-san. You're also really strong, from what I can feel and have been told."

She smiled at Hinata and the blunette couldn't but smile back. "Hey, wanna be friends?"

"Friends?" Hinata repeated in surprise. Her smile widened and she nodded her head. "Y-yes, please. I'd love to be friends with you, Rukia-san."

And another person was added to her growing list of cherished people in Soul Society. Hinata just knew that everything would be fine.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry guys for not updating in a long time. I've been pretty busy with my others stories, life, and this one story I'm co-writing with with two friends of mine. I know this chapter is pretty boring, but I thought it'd be nice to have a nice, relaxing chapter up before it gets all intense :)

Just a note before I go, I can't promise that I'll update frequently and on a schedule. I've got a lot to juggle right now and I hope that you can be patient with me. Thank you guys for all the support you're giving me and know that you guys are just the best! :D


	6. Conversation and Confession

**Edit: **Sorry guys, I made a mistake. It's fixed now, though. So you guys can go ahead and read!

* * *

Hinata inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and sighed as a nice, cool breeze swept by, pushing her hair in front of her face and tickling it. She shifted slightly, loving the feel of the grass under her and the scent of plants. To her right laid Momo Hinamori, the lieutenant of the Fifth Division. After the whole party Rangiku had thrown four months ago to 'celebrate' her and Hinata becoming friends, Hinata found herself making all kinds of new friends. One of them being the brunette that lay together with her on the ground.

The first time they had met at the party, she wasn't sure what to make of Momo. The girl was rather eccentric and loved telling stories. She had appeared so excited to finally meet her, immediately going up to her and shaking hands as she introduced herself to Hinata with a huge smile.

Hinata of course had seen her around a few times before that when she had gone to see Captain Aizen and even the other captains. The girl sometimes would stop by Captain Hitsugaya's office to talk to either Rangiku or the captain himself. The three were apparently good friends, with the captain and her being long time childhood friends.

Hinata on her part had also been excited to meet the brunette, though she wouldn't admit it but she was a little weirded out by the girl's jubilance. Though she soon found that the two weren't so much different. At least, Hinata found that she was much like the girl when she was a little younger. They even shared a lot of things in common.

"So how's your training been going? I heard that you've been training a lot with both Captain Aizen and Captain Ichimaru, as well as with Rukia-san," Momo asked, turning her head to look at the blunette.

Hinata nodded. "Y-yeah, it's been pretty hard. When I train with Captain Aizen he tends to hold back quite a bit so that I don't push myself too hard. But he's been hard on me when it comes to kido because he says I have a natural talent in it. Captain Ichimaru is great at teaching me in zanjutsu. He doesn't hold back, which helps push me to my limit and even further to get me stronger. With Rukia-chan, we train in all areas. Since I'm not really good in zanjutsu, she helps me a lot in that area, while I help her in hakuda combat since that's the area she lacks in the most."

"I see, that does sound pretty hard. But I'm glad that you're able to get stronger," she said. The brunette suddenly sat up and clapped her hands together as an idea came to her mind. "Hey, I got an idea. Why don't I help you train as well?"

"You wanna help me train as well?" Hinata repeated, sitting up as well as she blinked at the other girl.

"Yeah! And in return, you can help me in hakuda training." She gave a sheepish laugh and stuck her tongue out in a childish manner. "I'm not that great in hakuda combat to be honest," she confessed.

"Oh well, I'm fine with that if you are. I-I'd like to help you out, and it'd be nice to get more help myself. But that's if you're alright with it," Hinata said.

"Of course! It'll be great! I'd love to see how you fight," Momo told her.

The two exchanged a smile with each other. Hinata laid back down on the nice, lush grass as Momo followed her lead. She looked up at the mostly clear sky, with only a few white fluffy clouds littering the blue sky. She gave a small hum, allowing her body to sink in and further relax in the nice breeze.

"By the way, how's Rangiku-san and Shiro-chan been doing?" Momo asked. "I haven't seen them in a while with how busy I've been."

"Th-they've been doing fine. Captain Hitsugaya's been working hard though since Rangiku-san doesn't like doing her paperwork. She's been driving him crazy the past few days going out and drinking with the others. I'm actually surprised he hasn't snapped yet with how she's been," Hinata told her.

"That sounds just like them. Shiro-chan's not easy to anger but Rangiku-san always finds ways to really annoy him." She giggled in amusement, imaging the things Rangiku did this time to irritate him.

"By the way, Momo-chan? I've been wondering but how come you call Captain Hitsugaya 'Shiro-chan'? I thought he didn't like people calling him anything but Captain Hitsugaya," Hinata wondered.

"Oh that?" A small teasing smile appeared on the brunette's face. "Back when we were still living in the Rukongai and not yet Shinigami, that's what I always called him. He got annoyed with the nickname even back then but I told him until he went to the Shinigami Academy that I would continue calling him that. Even though he's now I captain, I can't help but still call him by that nickname. It really annoys him. But it's also because it brings... nostalgia back of the old times, I guess."

"I see," Hinata muttered in understanding.

"Hey, why don't you try calling him that?"

"Me?" the blunette questioned, pointing at herself. By this time the two were sitting up once more and Hinata pointed at herself incredulously. "B-but wouldn't Captain Hitsugaya get angry if I do?"

"That's the point! It's fun getting him annoyed. He won't do anything, anyway," Momo told her.

Hinata chuckled nervously, imagining the furious look that would overtake her captain's face should she actually try it. "Umm... I think I'll pass. I'm not close enough to him to actually do that. If it were me, I'd g-get punished," she muttered the last part to herself. She really didn't want to think of what would happen should she actually go and do that. The only reason Momo got away with it was because the two were childhood friends and he really cared for her. Hinata, however, didn't know him that well. To him, she was only a subordinate. The way he treated Momo differed to the way he treated her. She didn't want to risk it.

"You sure? I doubt he'd do anything bad," Momo persisted.

Hinata shook her head. "N-no, I'm fine. Besides, you're the only one that calls him that, as far as I can see. It shows of how close you two are. You should let it stay like that. It'll tell others that you two aren't just comrades, but something more."

A blush consumed the brunette's cheeks and she quickly waved a hand. "Come on, don't say that. It makes us sound like lovers or something. We're just good childhood friends!"

"I know," Hinata told her. _But I never said that you two were, _she couldn't help but think. Despite the girl denying it, somehow Hinata got the feeling that she had at least a tiny bit of feelings for him in that manner. Although the giant crush she had on Captain Aizen did well to hide those feelings from her.

Hinata wasn't stupid. She knew about the girl's crush on the Squad 5's captain. It was painfully obvious, and she was sure that there were others that knew about it as well. The girl practically idolized him. No, she did idolize him. She admired him and cared for him. It actually reminded Hinata of how she was when she was still alive. Although not exactly to the same degree as Momo, Hinata remembered admiring Naruto. Which later turned into a crush. Now of course, she had gotten over it, but that didn't mean he didn't hold a special spot in her heart anymore.

With a knowing look, the blunette smiled at the girl. By the way she fidgeted, Hinata knew she had an idea of the real meaning to that smile. The two laid back down on the ground and she heard Momo give a soft sigh.

"Hey Momo-chan?" Hinata called.

"Hmm?" Momo hummed in reply, turning her attention to the blunette.

"How exactly did you come to know Captain Hitsugaya?" Hinata asked, deciding to distract the girl from her thoughts. For now.

Suddenly a huge grin split the brunette's face and Hinata knew that this would be a story she couldn't forget.

* * *

"Hinata-chan!"

The said girl stopped amidst her walking and twisted her body slightly to get a look at the source of the voice. A smile graced her lips as she saw none other than Rukia Kuchiki running down the streets of Soul Society towards with an arm raised up, hand waving in the air. She turned followed and watched as the girl came to a stop in front of her, slightly panting from the run.

"Rukia-chan, hello," Hinata greeted once the woman was finished.

Rukia gave a smile and a nod. "Hey, I've been looking all over for you."

Hinata tightened her hold on the document pressed to her chest as she walked beside the Kuchiki girl. A look of confusion made its way to her face and she blinked slowly as she looked at the girl. "You've been looking for me?" she repeated.

Rukia nodded. "That's right."

"Wh-what is it that you need?"

An apologetic smile came onto the older girl's face. "You know how we planned to go out for a picnic on our day off in two days?"

"Hm," Hinata hummed with a nod.

"Well, I'm afraid that I won't be able to make it to the picnic, something's come up."

Hinata suddenly stopped, making Rukia halt as well as the two stared at each other, the blunette blinking before her brows furrowed in worry. From down the path she could hear the loud yelling of some members of a different squad, but she nor Rukia paid them any attention. "Something came up? Are you going to be okay?"

Rukia quickly waved her hands in front of her and sputtered at her mistake. "That didn't come out right. It's nothing really serious. Well, it is pretty serious, I guess, but..." she trailed off and her gaze moved away from the girl just a few steps from her. "Anyway, that's not what I meant. I've been assigned to the World of the Living for one month."

She paused to give Hinata a small, reassuring smile. Turning, the older girl looked over her shoulder and Hinata took that as a cue for the two to keep walking. Rukia didn't say anything for a while, waiting until the two were out of earshot of any other Shinigami before looked back at Hinata and continuing. "Don't worry about it. I'll just be staying there for a month. I shouldn't have too much trouble. I'll just be fighting low-level Hollows."

Rukia heard the blunette release a breath, no doubt in relief, and gave a small, sheepish chuckle. "Sorry to worry you like that," she apologized."

Hinata gave a nod and hum. "S-sorry about freaking out like that. You sounded so serious and even grim that I thought it was something bad." She gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed her neck, her other hand holding tightly to the document. "Knowing you, I'm sure you're going to do a great job. It shouldn't be hard for you."

"I didn't notice before but is that a document you're holding? Where were you off too?" Rukia said after a moment of silence.

"I was actually heading over to Captain Kuchiki's office to deliver this document for him to look over and sign and then bring it back. Captain Hitsugaya said that he would have gone but there was some sudden," she paused, inwardly shuddering at the angered look her captain had been unable to hide as he asked her the favor, "...business he needed to take care of."

"Let me guess, Rangiku-san?"

All she got in reply was a nervous laugh.

"I would ask you what she did this time, but I don't think I even wanna know. By the way, are we still up for the training session tomorrow?" Rukia asked.

"Training session?" she repeated. "A-are you sure about that? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your mission?"

Rukia waved a hand in front of her, batting the girl's concern away. "Nah. I still have plenty of time. I can always get ready today, or even at the day I go off to the Living World. And it's not like we'll be training for the entire day tomorrow. I don't even need to pack much."

"Oh," Hinata whispered. "Well if that's alright with you, then I'd like that. I'm still not too used to fighting with a sword."

"Hey," Rukia paused, halting in her walking and turned to face the blunette, "there's something that I don't understand."

Hinata paused mid-step and looked to her, tilting her head in confusion. "What is it?"

"Compared to your skills in zanjutsu, your skills in hakuda combat is on a different level. You're more comfortable in hand-to-hand fighting than in the other areas, right?"

The blunette nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, if you're more comfortable fighting without a sword, why didn't you ask to be put in Squad 2? They specialize in hand-to-hand," Rukia pointed out.

Hinata gave a small grimace at the words. She turned her head away from Rukia, allowing her side strands and bangs to cover up parts of her face. There actually was actually a few reasons as to why she had joined Squad 10 instead of Squad 2, a few of which she couldn't exactly say. But... "P-promise you won't tel anyone?"

The serious and pleading look on Hinata's face made Rukia slightly uncomfortable. Hinata wasn't one for hidings things - especially important - from others. It kinda made her wonder what it was she was going to tell her. "I promise," Rukia told her.

The blunette gave a grateful smile. "Well you see... Y-you know how it's rare for souls in Soul Society to remember their pasts?"

"Yeah..."

"Back when I was still alive, I used to be a fighter. I came from a clan that specialized in hand-to-hand combat, so that was pretty much all I used. I was tired of always fighting with my bare hands, so I decided that I'd work on my swordsmanship and use hand-to-hand only when I really need to," Hinata confessed. "In Squad 2, they don't really use swords to fight."

"So that's why... But it's amazing that you're able to remember your past. Is it like all of your past, or just tidbits?" Rukia asked curiously.

"I-it's actually all of it. I'm not sure why, but maybe it has something to do with how the fighters in my village, and even the other villagers were expected to have an amazing memory. We'd have to have to or we wouldn't be able to remember all the various handseals and the techniques for them to perform our jutsus," Hinata told her.

"Maybe, though I'm sure there's a little more to it. While it would make some sense, it wouldn't explain how others with exceptional memory can't remember, or only able to remember tidbits of their former life," Rukia commented.

"Yeah, though I wouldn't delve into it that deeply. Still being able to remember my past makes me happy. It means that I haven't forgotten about my friends and family, and that I'm still able to fight as I used to. It's thanks to these memories that I'm able to stay as I am," she said softly, closing her eyes as she allowed nostalgia to take over.

The two took a left turn and passed by a few wandering Shinigami, neither saying a word. With the silence Hinata allowed herself to reminisce about the past. Her friends, her family, everyone flashed through her mind. She really did miss them and she wondered what they would think of her now if they were able to see her. She had changed and changed a lot. She wasn't that weak, useless little girl anymore. She was stronger, both mentally and physically. Although she was still a long way from being powerful, she was definitely getting there.

Hinata looked down at the brown envelope the document was held in, tightly clasped in front of her chest. Although it was peaceful in Soul Society, or pretty much peaceful, she knew that the peace would soon vanish. She wondered how much longer it would last though.

She had been training herself every minute she could so that she'd be ready for anything to come. Thanks to Captain Ichimaru, Captain Aizen, and even Captain Hitsugaya at times along with his lieutenant and Rukia, she was really starting to grow. It would only be a matter of time before she'd get as strong as she'd like to.

"Hey Rukia-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"H-how about you? Do you have any memories of your former life?" Hinata asked a little hesitantly. Her head tilted up and her eyes met with Rukia's own. The girl shook her head, confirming Hinata's thoughts.

"No, I don't. Though like you said, it's pretty rare of souls here to still retain their past memories. Unheard of, even," Rukia replied.

Hinata gave a nod to that.

"By the way, besides me, does anyone else know of this?" Rukia asked.

"Hmm? Oh, actually Captain Aizen knows, too."

"Captain Aizen does too?"

"Yeah, that's right. As well as, Head Captain Yamamoto. Captain Aizen's the one that actually suggested I keep it a secret. Well, except from Head Captain. He told me that since it was unheard of for souls to still have memories of their lives from before they were dead, that it wouldn't be good for me to pass around that information. He even came with me to Head Captain and helped explain it to him, since I was really scared," Hinata explained, blushing in embarrassment at the end.

"I can imagine that," Rukia said with a smile.

Hinata's cheeks reddened further and she couldn't help but look away in further embarrassment. She wasn't much for confidence and pretty much everyone knew that. What made it worse was that everyone liked to tease her about it, among other things.

"Well, if both Captain Aizen and Head Captain Yamamoto says that it's best not to spread the information, then I think that's best. I actually agree with them. Who knows what kind of attention you'd draw if others knew." She paused, looking up in thought before turning back to Hinata. "By the way, how come you told me if you were told not to tell anyone?"

"Oh well, you're my friend, so I thought that you should know."

"That's your reasoning?" Rukia questioned, looking incredulous.

"O-of course, what other reasoning should I need?" Hinata replied.

Rukia felt her eye twitch at her words. "But what if I went around telling others? How do you know I wouldn't do that?"

"Because you wouldn't."

"Huh?"

"Because you wouldn't," Hinata repeated with a smile. "I know you're not the kind of person to go around telling other people's secrets. And you're my friend, so you wouldn't tell."

"That's..." Rukia couldn't even finish her sentence. She sighed at Hinata's logic, shaking her head. Despite herself however, a smile appeared on her face. "Although I can't say your reasoning didn't make me happy, but it's not wise to have a mind like that. If you say that, how come Rangiku-san or even Captain Hitsugaya doesn't know? They're your friends as well, aren't they?"

"Oh, that's... That's because..."

"Because...?" Rukia persisted, feeling her curiosity grow. If Hinata had trusted her the secret, how come not the others? It must be some big reason. After all, she knew that Hinata spent as much time with Rangiku as she did with herself. She didn't know about Captain Hitsugaya though, but she'd figured that the girl would tell her own captain. Rukia knew that she would've if she was hiding a secret like that.

"That's because the two never asked!"

Rukia stumbled over her own two feet, almost falling flat on her face at the girl's answer had she not caught her bearings before so. Looking up, she sweat dropped at the wide smile Hinata wore. "Huh? That's why?"

Hinata just continued to smile.

Rukia gave another sigh. She should have figured. Hinata wasn't the type to hide such secrets from her friends. She knew that whenever she asked the girl something that the answer would have been seen as secret, the girl wouldn't have minded telling with the reasoning that the two were friends so she didn't need to hide it from her. It was the weirdest reasoning that Rukia got the feeling would get the girl in plenty of trouble.

"But I thought that you weren't supposed to tell others? If you're gonna still tell people when they ask, wouldn't you be disobeying orders?"

The blunette's smile lessened into a thin line as she blinked her eyes. With a single finger up she replied, "That's different though. If Captain Hitsugaya or Rangiku-san asked, then my answer to you would've been different."

"Different?" Rukia repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right, because I wouldn't have told them. I would've just replied with a 'I'm not allowed to tell you' or even give them a... a warped version of the truth, I guess," Hinata explained.

"But then why tell me that?!" the noirette questioned.

Hinata's giggled sheepishly. "B-because it was the truth...?" Although it was meant to be said as a statement, it came out as a question. The blunette shrank in on herself at the unnerving look Rukia sent her.

"Um Rukia-chan...? We're here," Hinata stated hesitantly upon sighting the gate to the Sixth Division a few moments later.

"I see that," Rukia said, noticing them as well.

The two stopped in front of the gate and greeted the two Shinigami standing guard. Hinata bid Rukia goodbye and the two headed different ways with promises to meet up tomorrow.

* * *

**AN: **Hey guys, I'm back. I know this chapter didn't have much action in it either like the previous chapter, but don't worry. The action is coming soon. I'm just trying to set some things up before we really get into the story. I've only got a few things planned ahead, mostly the big and important parts in the story, and I'm still finishing the plan for this story. I got a good (vague) idea of how it'll go though!

I'll try and update as soon as I can, though make no promises. I still have to work on other stories, as well as co-write another one with two friends.

Please review and tell me what you guys think of this chapter. I noticed that while I got like 10-20 reviews the past two chapters, I only got like 3 last chapter. I was a little disappointed, I admit. Either I'm losing readers or you guys only like to review when there's a chance this story is dropped. Hmm...

Well, again, please review. I love hearing from you guys. I'll give a cookie...?


	7. To the World of the Living

**AN: **New chapter! Thank you to the five who reviewed the last chapter, I greatly appreciate it. I'll give you guys a warning, this chapter has not been proofread, so it's bound to be littered with mistakes. I should really get a beta reader for this story. I'm so lazy it's sad. Well, please forgive me, I'm a horrible writer :P

Anyway, read on! But please take a moment after you're finished to review. Pretty please?

* * *

A knock sounded lightly on the door. Hinata stood silently as she waited for permission before she entered the room. The shoji doors made a small creak as it slid shut with a sound _tap! _Her feet slid forward, the black hakamas swaying with the motion. With a low bow to the waist, the girl sat on the unoccupied cushion that lay behind the captain.

Hinata blinked, patiently awaiting for the captain to tell her why he called her there. He jotted a few more lines down on his paper before he set the pen down and turned to her. Through the dim lighting in the room Hinata made out the warm chocolate orbs of Captain Aizen. He looked a little worn but she didn't doubt that he was tired. He had been staying up doing research and waking up early to help her with training among other duties he had to perform.

"I'm sure you've heard already, but Rukia Kuchiki has gone to the World of the Living. She was supposed to have returned a month after she left. As it is, she's been in the Living World for a month and ten days. I'm afraid that she has run into some trouble as she has yet to return," Captain Aizen said softly.

Hinata bowed her head, closing her eyes as she thought of her friend how she had yet to return. She was honestly getting worried. Rukia wasn't one to disobey orders, nor one to drag on something for much longer than it should have originally taken. She liked getting things done smoothly and quickly. Considering the older girl was stronger than Hinata, as well as most other Shinigami around her rank, it was worrying that Rukia had yet to return. She couldn't imagine Rukia getting into trouble and even injured badly or...

"I understand that you are good friends with Kuchiki-san. That is why I'd like to send you to the World of the Living and check up on her," Captain Aizen said.

Hinata's head jolted up and her eyes snapped open as she gasped in surprise. "B-but that's...!"

He just smiled and held up a hand, effectively cutting her off. "Don't worry. I'll come up with an excuse as to why you need to head into the Living World. But be aware that you'll only have a limited amount of time you can stay there. I'll give you as much time as I can."

"C-Captain Aizen," she mumbled. She bowed her head once more in gratitude and said, "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"Though when you get back, I want you to promise me one thing?"

She looked up. "Wh-what is it, Captain Aizen?"

"Promise me that you'll tell me everything that happened when you come back?"

* * *

Hinata stood tall in front of the huge doors that would lead her to the World of the Living, or better known as the Senkaimon. Her hands were clenched into fists and eyes narrowed in determination as she waited for the two doors to open and allow her passage. Behind her stood her captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Although he said that he was here to bid her goodbye, she got the feeling that there was much more to it.

Which she was right.

"So, exactly why is it again you're heading to the Living World?" he questioned, moving to stand beside her. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow raised as he gazed at her with questioning eyes.

Hinata shrank in on herself at the intense look in his eyes and blushed. "I-I was asked by Captain Aizen to get a few things from the Living World."

"Get a few things from the Living World, huh? And why can't you get it here, in Soul Society?" he interrogated.

She looked away nervously, feeling a bead of sweat rolling down her temple as she fought to keep herself calm and composed. Captain Hitsugaya could really be scary when he wanted to be! She opened her mouth to quickly supply an excuse, but was halted before she could by her captain.

"It's about Rukia Kuchiki, isn't it?" At the way her body tensed he knew he hit the jackpot. He sighed. "Honestly, Aizen's too kind for his own good. If he keeps this up he's going to get himself into trouble."

"A-are you going to tell Head Captain?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"No, it's none of my concern. Just as long as you don't cause trouble I don't see a need to tell," he told her. "But listen, just because I'm not going to tell him, doesn't mean that Head Captain Yamamoto won't find out. Whatever you do, don't do anything rash while you're there. Come back as soon as you're done and don't go over your time limit. It won't do if you get in trouble with the Head Captain or even hurt."

"Yes," she nodded, "of course. I'll make sure to behave and be careful. Captain Aizen already told me n-not to do anything rash. I'll try not to cause any trouble."

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear," he said.

The Senkaimon soon opened and Hinata shielded her eyes from the sudden light shining from within the open doors. She blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to adjust, before she turned to her captain and bowed, giving him a smile in gratitude. "Th-thank you, Captain Hitsugaya. You have no idea h-how much this means to me!"

"Yeah, yeah. You should get going now. I expect you to be back no later than three days. If you're not back by that time I'll send someone over to get you. I don't want any of my squad members getting into trouble. Rangiku is enough to handle as is," he told her.

Hinata gave a nod and turned, running off into the open white doors. Behind her, Hitsugaya stood watching her off. Once he was sure she was gone, he turned and made his way back to his office, where he knew he had a load of paperwork to do no doubt.

* * *

The wind blew past her, forcing her braided blue hair to dance in the breeze. Her robes rustled and she looked down from her spot on a long pole, eyes full of curiosity. "So this is the Human World? I've been here before, but I didn't get to see much of it since I was on a mission," she whispered, her eyes trailing from one end of vision to the other.

The part of town she was at wasn't too crowded. There were many buildings lined up against each other, with some visibly containing action. Little kids ran down the streets, either chasing each other or yelling at the others to hurry up. She squinted, one lone figure catching her attention.

_He has a rather high amount of spirit energy, _she noted.

His head snapped up to her and the sudden motion made her tense. She refrained from crouching into a battle stance and stared at his dark blue eyes with equal intensity. The boy's eyes narrowed before he harrumphed and turned away, decidedly breaking the staring contest they had with each other. Hinata's eyebrows furrowed and she watched him walked away.

_He's human but he has high spirit energy. I'm not surprised that he could see me, _she thought. Though something told her she should keep an eye on him.

Hinata quickly shook her head. No, she shouldn't be thinking about that right now. That's for a different time! She had to go find Rukia and see if the girl was okay. She'd ponder on the strange human another time. With a push of her legs, she jumped off the pole and unto the roof of a nearby house. Activating her eyes, she searched the town for any sign of her noirette friend.

"There!" Her eyes caught onto the family figure of Rukia Kuchiki and she increased her speed to catch up to the girl. But something was troubling. She blinked slowly, focusing her eyes on just Rukia and was surprised at what she found._  
_

_Rukia-chan's spirit energy is so low. It's like all her power was taken away. Even when I try to sense it, I can't sense anything more than at most one-tenth of her power. _What was more puzzling was that she appeared to be visible to the naked human eye. Her shihakusho was gone, replaced with a gray skirt and a white blouse, the female equivalent of the uniform the guy she saw earlier wore, or she figured it was. A gigai, perhaps?

Hinata dropped down on the building just one down to the one at Rukia's left and wondered whether she should call out to her or stay hidden. Her answer came in the form of the girl tensing and quickly turning to her with a fierce glare. The two's eyes connected and Rukia's eyes widened, Hinata spotting recognition flashing through those violet orbs.

The blunette lifted a hand and waved nervously, a small unsure smile tugging her lips up. "Hey Rukia-chan..."

"H-Hinata!"

* * *

"I see... So you came here because you got worried about me," Rukia muttered in understanding.

Hinata nodded, pulling her knees closer to her chest as she stared down at them. "You were supposed to have been back two weeks ago. Since you hadn't I got worried and came here to look for you."

The two were sitting on the roof of the building Rukia called 'her' school. After Hinata had found her, Rukia suggested that they come up here to talk, as it would be private as the other students would be too busy learning to come up here. A gentle breeze blew past them, caressing Hinata's exposed face and persuading her bands and side strands to flutter in the wind. It was definitely calm up here, which Hinata appreciated.

"But how were you able to come here? You did ask permission, didn't you?" Rukia questioned, leaning towards her with eyes showing concern.

Hinata quickly nodded her head, shaking her hands in front of her. "O-of course! Captain Aizen arranged for me to come here in the pretense that I'm doing some research in the Living World. So Head Captain allowed it!"

"You lied to the Head Captain?!" she yelled. "Wait a minute, are you saying that Captain Aizen even helped you lie? I can't believe it!"

The blunette laughed nervously and scratched lightly at her cheek.

Rukia sighed incredulously, mentally shaking her head at her friend's actions. "You know that you're going to get into serious trouble if Head Captain Yamamoto finds out you lied to him, right?"

Hinata just gave another nervous lie.

"So," Rukia began after a moment of silence, "how long are you going to stay here for?"

"Oh, actually... I can only stay for three days. Then I have to come back or I'll risk getting in trouble and even found out. Captain Hitsugaya said that if I don't come back in time, that he'd send someone over to get me," she replied.

"Captain Hitsugaya did?"

Hinata nodded. "That's right. H-he didn't want me to cause any trouble since he already has to take care of Rangiku-san, or so he told me. Though Captain Aizen said something similar to him. Both of them don't want me to hurt or punished, so they're probably gonna drag me back to Soul Society if I don't do as said."

"I still can't believe that Captain Aizen helped you with this, and that Captain Hitsugaya let you off just like that. I figured he'd find out what you're up to and stop you," Rukia remarked.

"Actually," Hinata paused to rub the back of her head, "Captain Hitsugaya does know the real reason. I don't think he believed me from the start. He even questioned me on my plans, but said he wouldn't say anything as long as I don't do anything rash."

"I see."

"By the way Rukia-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"How... how come I can barely sense any spiritual energy from you?" Hinata questioned.

The blunette watched curiously as the girl tensed and her eyes widened, before she briefly looked away to regain her composure. Rukia turned back and smiled, though Hinata knew that something was wrong. "What are you talking about?"

"Rukia-chan," Hinata persisted.

The noirette quickly waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's probably just this gigai that's doing this. While I'm inside here, it suppresses some of my power so that I appear more human. You know?"

Hinata's gaze hardened. She knew that Rukia was lying. While she may not have known the girl for years, in fact only being friends with her for a little under a year, she knew that the girl was lying. Rukia was a great actor, but there were some things that she just couldn't hide form Hinata's eyes. "Rukia-chan, please. I know you're lying. I-I don't want to push you into it, but I'm worried. So please tell me?"

"I..." The girl trailed off and looked away. She sighed dejectedly, only raising Hinata's unease. "Well, you see... I-"

Hinata tensed as she felt the familiar sensation of a hollow nearby. Her head snapped to her right and her eyes narrowed as she activated her Byakugan. Rukia, catching this, halted in her sentence and looked to where Hinata was staring at.

"Hinata what's wrong? What do you see?" Rukia asked in a whisper.

"It's a Hollow," Hinata replied.

The blunette stood, followed by Rukia, and Hinata gripped the hilt of her sword. A second later Rukia's pager went off, alerting her to the presence of a Hollow, and the noirette quickly grabbed it to check where it was. With Hinata's eyes, she made out a Garganta opening up and allowing the Hollow she sensed passage to the Living World.

"Come on, Rukia-chan. We have to get it," Hinata said, looking over her shoulder at the girl.

"Oh uh," she trailed off.

"Rukia-chan, what's wrong?" the blunette questioned.

"I can't," Rukia finally confessed.

"Wh-what do you mean 'you can't'?"

"I... I'll explain later. Just go on ahead, I'll meet up with you there." The noirette swiftly turned on the balls of her feet and ran to the door that led inside the building. "I need to do something, but I'll be there shortly. Go," she told her.

Hinata's brows furrowed in worry. She briefly battled with herself on what to do, go to see what's going on with Rukia or go defeat the Hollow. Finally, she turned away from the door and jumped off the building. She didn't know what was happening with Rukia but she couldn't ignore the Hollow, no matter how much she wanted to at the moment. She'd trust in Rukia.

The blunette slid her blade out of its sheath and gripped it firmly in two hands. Jumping at the Hollow as she arrived, she gave a small battle cry and slashed down at the back of the Hollow's head. It barely had enough time to notice her before it shrieked and disintegrated. Hinata exhaled a breath as she stood in mid-air.

_Now that that's settled, _she thought.

She turned just as she heard two voices arguing with each other, one of them sounding suspiciously like Rukia's. To her surprise, she saw Rukia riding on the back of a bright orange-haired boy. He wore the standard Shinigami robes and strapped to his back was a huge Zanpakuto, one that looked almost as tall as himself.

"Hey Rukia, what the hell's the meaning of this. Why is she dressed like a Shinigami?!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger Hinata.

The girl blinked curiously as she watched the two fight. She had no idea who this guy was, as she'd never seen of him. She didn't think she'd ever heard of him either. She'd think she'd remember an orange-haired Shinigami with a huge sword and a short temper. But he looked to be on friendly terms with Rukia, especially since the girl was _riding on his back._

"Umm, Rukia-chan...?" Hinata began uneasily.

The two immediately stopped and turned to her. The guy wore a scowl on his face while Rukia looked almost uneasy herself with all of this.

"Who... who is he?" she asked.

"You two know each other?" the boy questioned. His scowl deepened. "You know, I should be asking you the same question. Who are you?"

"Hey, don't be rude to her!" Rukia yelled, smacking the boy upside the head.

"Ow! What the hell's your problem?" He gave a groan and used one of his hands to rub his head. "Anyway, are you going to answer me?"

The earned him another smack to the head.

A small smile tugged at Hinata's lips as she stared at the two, amused. Well they sure were a pair, weren't they? "Um... I'm Hinata Hyuga, the 7th seat of Squad 10."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, Sub-"

"Ichigo wait!"

"-stitute Shinigami."

"Substitute what...?" Hinata blinked owlishly. Did he just say what she thought he said? But that was... that was impossible! If he was a Substitute Shinigami then what about Rukia? She couldn't have, could she? But then, that would explain why her spirit energy was so low. But could she really have done it.

* * *

A tense silence hung in the air. Hinata's eyes were shielded as she looked down at the ground. Across from her stood both Rukia and the supposed Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki. Rukia had just explained to Hinata all that had happened while she was hear, or at least a summarized version of it. In the story, she also made sure to mention what happened the night she had lost her powers.

"Rukia, do you realize what you've just done?" Hinata questioned.

The older female did not reply, but gave a nod instead.

Hinata suddenly stood and clenched her hands at her sides. "Don't you know what's gonna happen if Soul Society hears about this? You'll be in trouble!" The blunette's hands gripped her shoulders and she shook them lightly.

"Hey, hold on. What do you mean Rukia'll be in trouble?" Ichigo questioned, quickly halting the girl.

"That's none of your concern," Rukia sharply replied, a coldness to her tone that demanded he didn't ask further.

"What do you mean it's none of my concern? Of course it is!" Ichigo shot back.

Rukia opened her mouth to shout at him but Hinata quickly stopped her. "Rukia-chan, Kurosaki-san, please don't fight. We've got bigger things to worry about."

"Are you going to tell them?" Rukia inquired.

Hinata sighed and shook her head. "No, I won't tell Head Captain or any of the others. However, I'm gonna have to tell Captain Aizen. I promised him that I would tell him everything that happened while I was here in exchange of me visiting you. He's been worried about you, too, you know."

"Alright, very well. I won't ask for you to keep this a secret from the others. Even if you did, they'd find out sooner or later anyway. But..." she trailed off.

The blunette's eyes furrowed and she took a step closer, giving her a comforting squeeze and silently asking she continued.

"But can you do me this one favor?" Her voice was pleading.

"Yes, of course. What is it?"

"Can you make sure nothing happens to Ichigo?" That caught Hinata of guard. She wasn't expecting her to ask that. Then again, Rukia was a caring person, she would request that. "I got him into this whole mess, I don't want him to get hurt because of me," Rukia whispered, making sure it was soft enough that Ichigo did not hear.

Hinata smiled, letting out a breath. "Yes, of course. Anything for you. I'm gonna have to tell Captain Aizen about your predicament, but I promise you that he won't tell anyone. It's not in his nature to go into other people's business. You know the type of person he is, he'll do anything he can to help you. T-together, we'll try and keep Soul Society from finding out as long as possible."

"Thank you, you are a good friend," Rukia said in relief.

"Hey, are you two done whispering over there? If you haven't noticed, you still haven't answered my question," Ichigo suddenly interrupted.

Hinata heard Rukia sigh in agitation and couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.

"Don't worry, it's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Rukia told him.

"You can't just say that and expect me to just drop it!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Listen, Kurosaki-san. Rukia-chan's right, you don't need to worry," Hinata said, backing her friend up.

"But you said she was in trouble!" he yelled.

Hinata nodded and sent a small wink to Rukia at the girl's pleading look not to tell. "That's right. It's not allowed for us Shinigami to give our powers living humans." Ichigo's mouth opened to say something more, but she quickly cut him off. "Under normal circumstances she would get in trouble. However, since this was a special case, an act to protect the living as she was supposed to, I'm sure that once I explain this to our Head Captain, he will understand. She was doing her duty after all. So it's alright, you needn't worry."

"Are you sure?" he questioned. He looked genuinely concerned which made a pang of guilt Hinata's chest at her lies. But he didn't need to know the truth. Rukia wanted to hide him from the danger ahead and honestly, Hinata felt compelled to do the same. The boy in front of her was no more than sixteen. He was still young, he didn't need to be caught up in all of this.

So it would be better if he was left in the dark.

"Yes, that's right. Head Captain will understand," Hinata told him.

"Rukia...?"

The noirette nodded to Ichigo, giving her own confirmation. "See? I told you you didn't need to concern yourself with this. Everything will be fine. And I'll be getting my powers back soon, anyway. So you don't need to worry about me."

He sighed and scratched at the side of his head. "Alright, fine." His gaze move to Hinata. "I can't say I trust you fully yet, but I'll leave it to you. I guess."

"D-don't worry, I'll handle it," Hinata assured him.

"That's surprising. You're gonna let it go just like that?" Rukia commented.

"Well yeah. I don't know much about this Soul Society you two keep talking about. I'm not stupid. If I try to get too involved, I'll probably cause more harm than good," Ichigo explained.

"You're right there," Rukia agreed. "By the way, earlier you said you'd be staying here for three days, correct?"

Hinata nodded.

"Where are you going to stay in the meantime?" she questioned.

Oh, right. She never really thought about that. She'd been so set on coming here to see Rukia that she totally forgot about living arrangements. Then again, even if she was thinking about it, she wouldn't have thought of staying at an actual housing. She might have decided to sleep up on a rooftop or maybe in the woods surrounding the town just like she used to back when she was still alive. She didn't care to spend all that money for just a three day visit.

"I-I'm not exactly sure," Hinata confessed. "I was actually thinking of just sleeping out in a tree or on a rooftop or something, to be honest."

"What? You can't do that!" Rukia yelled.

"Are you crazy? You seriously were planning on sleeping outside?" Ichigo questioned, looking at her as if she was insane.

Hinata blinked innocently and tilted her head to the side. "I-is that bad?

"Of course it is! What if someone sees you?"

"But Shinigami can't be seen by ordinary humans," Hinata reminded.

"Still!" Ichigo hissed.

"I agree, Hinata-chan! You can't stay outside. Why not come stay with me?" Rukia suggested.

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed. He paused, a thought suddenly coming to him and swiftly turned to Rukia. "Wait, no! She's not sleeping in my closet!"

"Why not? I don't see the problem with it," Rukia said.

"Of course you don't!"

Hinata sweat dropped as she watched the two argue back and forth. They really were a strange pair. It actually reminded her of Sakura and Naruto. No, that was a bad comparison. Naruto didn't yell at Sakura. So a better comparison would be... Naruto and Kiba? Yeah, those two fought a lot, that was for sure. Rukia and Ichigo reminded her of them.

She smiled, how she missed those two. It's a really long time since she'd seen all of them. She wondered how everyone was doing back at the Leaf. It would be nice if she could go and see them. Then again, they probably wouldn't recognize her - if they hadn't forgotten about her that is.

"Hey guys," Hinata began, effectively stopping them once more. Silently she noted that this was the second time today she had done so. "It's alright. I can just stay somewhere else."

"But Hinata-chan," Rukia said, looking ready to argue.

Hinata shook her head. "I-I'm going to ask Urahara-san if I can stay with him while I'm here."

"With him?" Rukia questioned, shocked.

"Urahara-san? Are you talking about Hat 'n Clogs?" Ichigo inquired.

"Hmm," Hinata hummed. "I need to go see him anyway."

"What for?"

"Well I was going to go and see if he could get me a gigai for my stay here. I think it's best if I stay in one while I'm here. It'll attract less attention if I try to blend in," Hinata answered the girl.

"So you're leaving now?" Ichigo asked.

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, I should get going. I'll come see you guys later," she promised. She heard the two give their own farewells before turned and left. The girl jumped into the air and looked over her shoulder to way to the two.

"Hey stop! Watch-"

_Smack!_

"...out," Ichigo finished, wincing at the impact the blunette made with a pole. "That's gotta hurt."_  
_

Rukia sighed, sweat dropping. Hinata'll never change, she guessed.


	8. Do You Like Candy?

_Hehe, so here's another chapter. It took a little bit, but I got it done. Didn't edit it though, so there's bound to be mistakes littered all over. By the way, I was meaning to ask, what do you guys think of me using the dubbed version of the anime to go by instead of the subbed? The earlier episodes, and even the episodes further up, I've always only watched the dubbed. The only reason I'm adding '-san, -chan, any japanese words which could easily be translated to English, etc' is because I had to watch the subbed on the later episodes as then it wasn't dubbed. I'm a little more used to the dubbed than the subbed, and its way of calling of names, I guess you could say. But what do you guys think?_

_Anyway, off to the chapter!_

* * *

Hinata stirred from her slumber. Her hand moved to her eyes and she rubbed at the closed lids to rid herself of the sleep. She sat up, the white blanket falling from her chest to her lap. With a yawn the girl stood and stretched, feeling a satisfying pop and she sighed. There was a knock on the door and Hinata opened it to see Ururu Tsumugiya, a worker for Kisuke, at the door.

"Umm... Kisuke-san asked that I get you for breakfast," she said meekly.

The blunette nodded and gave her a smile. "I'll be down there soon."

Ururu bowed and left after that. Once Hinata was sure she was gone she shut the door and moved to the small desk in the room she was given to put on the clothes she had been allowed to borrow. After she had finished speaking with Ichigo and Rukia, she had come straight here just like she had told them. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the two kids that worked in this shop, Ururu and Jinta. Kisuke of course knew that she had been coming. How though, was a mystery.

After talking with the blond, he had gone off to take care of something. He told Ururu to show her to her room and Hinata was surprised at how easily he accepted her. She had thought that he was more cautious with people, but maybe that was why he accepted her. Keeping enemies, or even people suspicious, close would help monitor them. Knowing that, Hinata made sure to be careful in all that she did. She didn't want to set off his mental alarms with something that she did wrong and then have to face the consequences.

Hinata slid the shoji door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She made her way to the table and sat on a vacant cushion. Ururu, Jinta and Kisuke were already sitting, while she guessed that Tessai was in the kitchen preparing the food.

"Well good morning Hyuga-san!" Kisuke chirped, a huge grin on his face. "I hope you had a pleasant sleep!"

The blunette smiled and nodded her head meekly, feeling her cheeks heat up. She was still not used to the man across from her. Actually, she could say she was even a little unnerved by him. There were many reasons, one being that he could decide to attack her in the blink of an eye and not feel guilty if he killed her. He was a frightening man, even if he was ecstatic with the goofiest of grins that made people let down their guard around him.

"Th-thank you again for allowing me to stay here, Urahara-san," she said with a bow of her head.

"Yes, of course! It's no problem, Hyuga-san," he told her, waving off her thanks with a wave of his fan.

"So who is this girl, anyway? You never did tell us about her," Jinta questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ah yes," Kisuke said suddenly, as if he'd only just remembered. "Sorry about that. I was so wrapped up with work that I forgot all about it. Jinta, Ururu, this is Hinata Hyuga. She's the 7th seat of Squad 10, am I right?"

Hinata nodded in confirmation.

"She'll be staying with us today and tomorrow before going back to Soul Society. So be nice to her," Kisuke said.

The blunette bowed her head to the two kids. "It's an honor to meet you two. Please take care of me."

The shoji doors slid open and Hinata looked up to see Tessai coming in with the food. He set the heavenly smelling omelets and the rice and she sniffed at the mouth-watering scent. Her stomach decided at that moment to growl and she blushed, covering her stomach as if it would somehow stop it from making anymore noise.

To her left Kisuke laughed, covering mouth with the fan he held in his hand. "Well, looks like someone's hungry," he commented..

Jinta snickered and even Ururu giggled in amusement. It was rather embarrassing and Hinata ducked her head and allowed her bangs to cover up as much of her face as possible. It was like being with Gin again. He always liked to tease her, saying how it's always fun to see her reactions as they were entertaining. It wasn't that funny, was it?

"Eat as much as you want, Hyuga-san. There's plenty to go around," Tessai said, breaking her from her thoughts.

She nodded, a little grateful for the distraction. Remembering all the times she was teased by Rangiku and Gin weren't exactly the most pleasing of thoughts. Though it did make her smile slightly, despite herself. "Thank you, Tessai-san," she said.

Hinata waited for Tessai to give her her serving, as he'd insist he'd do it. Once she got her food, she waited until the others began eating before digging in. Her body sagged and a sigh of delight escaped her lips at the taste of the delicious omelet. It was just delicious! There were so many flavors and they just blended together so well. And the texture of the omelet! It was just so perfect. _It's melting in my mouth, _Hinata thought. _I don't remember mom's cooking much but I know one thing, this is as good as hers!__  
_

"Are you enjoying the omelet?" Tessai asked, receiving a nod in return. "I'm pleased. I put great effort into making it. I'm happy that you are enjoying it."

"Thank you again, Tessai-san!" Hinata told him in gratitude.

"So Hyuga-san, do you have anything planned for the day?" Kisuke asked.

"Huh? O-oh, I was actually thinking of going to see Rukia-chan and maybe even Kurosaki-san if he's with her after breakfast."

"Hmm, is that so? Well I'm afraid you can't do that, Hyuga-san." At her confused expression, he elaborated. "See, the two at this time would be heading off to school. You know what that is, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's where kids are taught education, right?"

"That's exactly right!"

"Do you know when they'll be out?" she inquired.

"It won't be out for a while yet." He hummed, tilting his head up thoughtfully." If I remember correctly, they're finished school around three in the afternoon. Though if any Hollows show up, it's a guarantee you'll see them if you go to slay it," Kisuke told her.

"Oh," was all that came from the girl. To say she wasn't disappointed would be a lie. She had been hoping to spend some more time with the Kuchiki girl and catch up with her. Maybe after some talking, they'd even be able to walk around town with Rukia showing her all the cool sights. She didn't know her way around the town, after all.

"If you don't have anything planned, why not go out to town and look around?" Kisuke suggested.

Hinata shook her head in disappointment. "I would, but I don't know anything about this place. I'm afraid I'll get lost or even embarrass myself," she said dejectedly.

And that was when Tessai had the perfect idea.

* * *

Jinta kicked a random can in his path, grumbling all the while. Beside him walked Hinata, who looked a little uneasy walking with him. Then to her right was cute little Ururu, who was looking at the ground meekly with that apparently permanent blush on her cheeks, though she was still alert of her surroundings if her being able to dodge random strangers without look up was anything to go by.

"Stupid owner, making me go walk a stupid girl around. Stupid Tessai for suggesting it," he muttered to himself.

"Jinta, you shouldn't talk like that about them. You'll get punished," Ururu told the redhead.

He suddenly stopped, making the other two stop, and pointed an accusing finger at her. "Shut up, Ururu and mind your own business. It's not like they're going to know anyway, unless you're going to be a tattle-teller and tell them! And you better not!" he yelled harshly.

"Hey, hey," Hinata quickly interjected, waving her arms in front of her as she stood between the two. "Please, stop fighting. She was just being nice and warning you," she defended the girl.

Ururu looked at her with surprise, probably not expecting Hinata to defend her like that. The blunette just sent the girl a smile.

Jinta in turn to her commented snarled. "Tch! Whatever! I don't need her to help me. She's just annoying. Besides, I'm not scared of the two. I can take 'em," he said. At this gave a small huff and puff and rested his hands on his hips, looking tall and proud.

Hinata silently sighed. The boy was too confident for his own good, as well as too loud. He's bound to get in trouble if he kept shouting stuff like that out. He was still a child and if he were to enrage an adult, a strong and unforgiving adult... Hinata just hoped that it didn't happen. She wished that he at least was nicer to Ururu. She hadn't been with them long but it wasn't hard to tell that he liked to bully the poor girl.

Ururu pulled at Hinata's jacket, earning the Shinigami's attention. Hinata looked down at the guy and she seemed to hesitate before opening her mouth. "Where do you want to go?"

The blunette hummed thought, tilting her head up to stare at the sky above. Both girls moved to go, either forgetting the puffing and boasting Jinta or just ignoring him as they continued. "I-I'm not sure, actually. I'd like to buy some souvenirs for my friends in Soul Society, but I'm not exactly sure what to get them," she replied after a moment. She gave another thoughtful hum.

From behind the two Jinta gave an indignant "Hey!" once he noticed they were leaving him behind. He quickly jogged to catch up and opened his mouth to yell at the two, though was halted before he could.

"Hey, would it be okay if I took a moment to call someone in Soul Society?" she inquired.

The two looked at her in surprise and exchanged a look with each other before Ururu nodded her head. "It's okay," she said.

"Who are you going to call anyway?" Jinta asked, apparently forgetting the rant he had prepared for the two for ditching him.

"I'm going to call my captain, Captain Hitsugaya. He's one of the people I'd like to get a souvenir for, but I don't know what he likes," she answered honestly. The girl reached into her jacket pocket and took out her Deinreishiki, a lavender and white flip-phone that worked both as a regular phone and as a communicator with Soul Society. Flipping it open, she went to contacts and searched for her captain's name. She was glad that she'd gotten his number beforehand, as now she'd be able to call him.

Pressing call, the girl brought the phone to her ear and waited for him to pick up. There were a few rings before she heard her captain's deep voice demanding what she wanted. "Hyuga? Why are you calling me? You're not to be back until tomorrow. Did something happen?"

Hinata scratched her cheek, giving a sheepish laugh. "Oh, uh... No, nothing's wrong, it's," she paused to think. Should she outright say why she was calling or try to subtly bring out the subject?

"Then why are you calling?" he questioned.

She decided for the latter.

"Oh well, I thought that you'd like to know that I've come into contact with Rukia Kuchiki," she began.

"And?"

"And she's... she's been having troubles getting back to Soul Society. There's been numerous Hollows showing up and she's had to deal with them. Just yesterday, I sensed four Hollows in the time I was here, which is rather abnormal," she explained.

"Four Hollows in one day?" he repeated, his voice tinted with disbelief. "That is abnormal. Usually there should only be one or two Hollows every three days, but four in one day?" There was a moment of silence on the other end, before Toshiro continued, "Have you informed anyone else in Soul Society? And has Rukia Kuchiki said anything about why this might be?"

Hinata shook her head, only to remember that he couldn't see it. "N-no, you're the first to know. I was hoping that it'd stay that way until I returned. Rukia-chan was wondering if she could extend her time in the World of the Living to investigate this. She's been worried about why this is happening and wants to find out the reasoning. I thought that, as my captain, that it'd be best if I told you this first."

Okay, so she was lying quite a bit, and to her captain. But it wasn't a _whole _lie. She had sensed four Hollows yesterday when she came. One she had already dealt with, the other three had been slain by Ichigo and Rukia. It was abnormal and it worried her. Rukia wondering for an extension was something she came up with herself. Since Rukia didn't have her powers back yet and so couldn't go back to Soul Society because of it, Hinata figured that if she just got her an extension, that by the time it's over Rukia would finally be able to come back.

"I understand. I'll make preparations for it but as you asked, I'll wait for you to return before doing anything. I'd still like more details to this. I expect that you'll be the one telling Head Captain about this?" he said.

"Yes, that was my plan when I was going to make my report. I'm also thinking of telling Captain Aizen and asking for his input on all of this. He's the one that allowed me to come here, so I think it's only right that he knows as well," through the corner of her eyes she noticed both Ururu and Ginta tense, though she didn't comment on it. She'd deal with it later on, she figured. "I was hoping that the two of you could back me up on this. Head Captain would be more prone to listen if two captains were to back me up," she explain.

It was silent for a few minutes on the other end. For a moment Hinata wondered if he'd hung up, but she thought against it as she heard no beeping. Finally, there was a sigh and her captain gave her a reply. "Alright, I'll help you. I'm sure if you asked, Aizen will as well."

"R-really?" Hinata questioned, bewildered. She didn't think that he'd accept so easily. She thought that she'd have to beg some for him to even think about it.

"Yes," he said. "While I don't know if letting Kuchiki continue investigate is a good idea or not, if Soul Society were to send in someone else who only has minimum knowledge of what's going on would be far more taxing. As Kuchiki has already been in the World of the Living for a month and some, and has dealt with the possible threat the whole time, she'll be more likely to know what to do. I'll leave it in her hands."

If Rangiku could see her expression night, she knew the woman would be on the floor laughing. Hinata's eyes were wide and mouth hung agape, the shock was so evident it wouldn't take a genius to know how surprised she was. "Uh... y-y-yes! Th-thank you, captain! I really appreciate this."

"No problem. But there's something you're still not sharing," Hinata tensed, wondering if she was busted, "I won't push for it, but I expect that you will tell me eventually."

"Y-yes sir."

"Were you planning on telling anyone else about this besides Aizen and I?"

"Well, actually... I was thinking of informing Captain Ukitake as well. He's Rukia-chan's captain, so I figured that he had the right to know what was happening as well," she answered honestly.

"Alright, and when were you planning to do that?" he asked.

"When I got back, actually," she replied.

"So I'm the only one here who knows as of now?"

"Yes captain."

There was another pause from Toshiro, in which Hinata waited anxiously for his reply. "Is there anything else you called me for?" he inquired after a moment.

She nodded, but once more she realized that he couldn't see the action. So clearing her throat, she spoke, "Actually, I was thinking of buying souvenirs for everyone. I'm not sure what Rangiku-san will like, though." Of course, she had already thought of what to buy her and planned on it, but she was going to try to get out anything he'd like out as discreetly as she could as well.

"...I don't know. Why are you asking me that?" he finally said, sounding a little annoyed. "Just call her or something."

"I would, but I don't think I'd be able to reach her. C-captain, what kind of gift do you think is good to buy someone?" she persisted.

"How should I know?"

"But don't you have an idea of what someone'd like...?"

He sighed. "I don't see why you can't try to call her. If you're that upset about it, why not just get her some clothes or something?"

"Yes but I don't know her size," she told him.

"Then I don't know."

Hinata deflated, this was much harder than she thought. Maybe she should try someone else... "Alright, captain. Then can you help me pick out a gift for... Nanao-san?" Yes, that should do it. She was the closest to him in attitude. Both were rather cold and didn't appear to like too many things. She'd be able to get a better idea with her as an example.

"I don't know."

And that idea was shot to the ground. Hinata inwardly grumbled, of course he wouldn't know. Actually, she'd barely seen the two interact, and when they did it was solely about work. She should've expected this.

"Then... Kotetsu-san?"

"Don't know."

"Nemu-san...?"

"Don't know."

"Yachiru-chan?"

"Why are you asking me?" he questioned. He was obviously annoyed. "Just call them or something."

"Yes captain," she muttered with a sigh dejectedly. So much for that plan.

"If that's all then I'm hanging up," he told her.

_No wait, I still need to know what to buy you! _she yelled in her head in panic. "Wait, captain!"

"What is it?"

"Do..." she paused, wondering if she should continue. "Do you like candy?"

Silence.

"I'm hanging up now. If anything happens, that's important, then call me. Goodbye," and just like that, he hung up.

Hinata hung her head in disappointment, allowing the arm in which held the phone back down to her side.

"I take it it didn't go that well?" Ururu asked hesitantly.

The blunette just nodded.

She received a sympathetic pat on the back.

"Anyway," Jinta stretched the word out, crossing his hands behind his head, "we should get going. The sooner we get back to the shop, the better."

"Yes," Hinata nodded, straightening up, "we should get going." Though she still had no clue on what to get her captain. Maybe she should call Rangiku and ask her if she knows? But then, there's no doubt in her mind that she'd start teasing her about liking him or something. Momo maybe...? She might spill to him what she was going to buy, and Hinata wanted to stay as a somewhat secret. Toshiro would probably reject it before she could even give it to him if he knew what it was and already didn't like it.

_I'm just going to have to chance it and hope that he likes it, _she thought.

Speaking of buying souvenirs for everyone, she still had no clue as to what to get the male friends of hers. She didn't know exactly what Aizen would like, and Gin would be even harder to figure out. There was also Ikkaku (which she had met through Yachiru) and his friend Yumichika. She also knew a little about Hisagi, but that was barely and only because Rangiku had him doing some... chores for her. Who else...?

"Do either of you know the closest antique shop?" she asked. She decided that that was where she'll start.

* * *

_Please take a moment to review! I love hearing your feedback._


	9. Samurai Sent on a Mission

**AN: **I really wanna try updating this story weekly but I'm scared that I won't be able to. I mean, I have school on Tuesday and then there's my other stories. Well, I'm gonna try. I've already got half of the next chapter done, so I think I'm making good progress :) Tell me what you guys think.

* * *

Shopping for the others proved to be more difficult than she first had thought it'd be. By the time it was nearing lunch she had only bought three things, and there were still a lot more that she'd like to have bought. Unfortunately, she still couldn't come up with gifts for everyone; deciding what to buy the guys was so much harder than she had wished it'd be.

But she guessed it wasn't so bad. When she had picked up the three gifts and paid, she had expected them to cost a lot. Surprisingly, they were so much cheaper than what you'd get at Soul Society if you were to buy something there. That at least put her a little at east. At least that meant she didn't have to worry as much about how much she was going to spend.

She still had to be cautious, but she'll probably now have some money left over from all that she planned to buy. Or she'd be planning to buy. Like she said, she still didn't know what she wanted to buy exactly.

"S-so should we head back to the shop for lunch or were you two planning on eating out?" Hinata asked the two.

Jinta gave a grunt and his scowl lightened. All throughout the shopping he had been grumbling and complaining, but now he looked even the littlest better, even kinda happy. Probably because they were done, Hinata figured. "We're going back!" he said, leaving no room for objection. He didn't even look to see if they were following, probably thinking that they would, and headed off stomping happily in the direction of the store.

"Jinta-san doesn't seem to like shopping," Hinata whispered to Ururu.

The girl nodded in agreement.

"I don't hear walking!" he yelled back at them, stopping briefly to glare at the two females.

Hinata couldn't help it, she giggled. It was rather amusing to see him yelling at the two. He was still so cute and childish, that only added to the amusement as he'd try to act like a tough guy. She heard Ururu give a small giggle as well beside her and that only increased hers as well. The two laughed and Jinta, noticing, became demanding they tell him what was so funny, which only made them laugh harder.

"I-I'm sorry, Jinta-san. You just looked so cute," she paused, letting another giggle out. She wondered whether she should finish her sentence, noting the pink that tinted his lips and how he looked ready to protest against it. "I mean, you act like a tough guy and whenever you pout you look the opposite." Okay, that didn't come out right.

Jinta's blush grew and he turned swiftly, pointing an accusing finger at her. Or maybe his cheeks were red with anger? "I am not cute! And I'm not 'acting' like a tough guy! I wasn't pouting either!" he yelled.

He was totally pouting again.

Hinata brought a hand to her mouth as another giggle escaped it. Jinta continued to yell, scaring some of the passerbys and making others stare.

"I think he's mad at you," Ururu stated the obvious.

The blunette nodded in agreement. "I don't think he likes me."

"I've never seen Jinta yelling so much before, even with me," Ururu remarked.

Hinata blinked, "Is that so?"

She nodded. "I've never seen him blush like that either with anyone other than Yuzu-san, Kurosaki-san's little sister," she continued.

That surprised Hinata. "Are you sure his cheeks aren't just red from anger?"

Ururu shrugged. "Maybe."

She tilted her head in wonder. Why was that? Well, it didn't really matter to her. Or at least, she didn't think it mattered to her. Whatever it was, she doubted he'd like her knowing it. Maybe. Hmm...

"Jinta, we should be heading back to the shop now," Ururu told him.

The redhead paused to huff at the two. "That's what I've been telling you two. Hurry up already! If we get in trouble, I blame you," he said. With that he turned and stomped in the direction of the shop once more. Hinata and Ururu exchanged a look with each other before following behind him.

* * *

After lunch they headed out once more to do some shopping. Jinta of course wasn't happy. Ururu didn't seem to mind that much though. Hinata, feeling bad that the boy was forced yet again to go out with her, decided to head out and buy some ice cream. He at first rejected, but then changed his mind when he heard she was paying. Apparently as payback, he bought the most expensive ice cream he could get. And when he thought that wasn't enough, and that she didn't mind them getting more, he bought some more.

Ururu didn't seem happy about it, and she even told him. That resulted in her getting a noogie. Hinata had to separate the two and she even ended up scolding Jinta. He was not happy at all. So for the remaining time that the three spent together before the two kids headed back he was either grumbling to himself or yelling at them.

Hinata sighed, thinking about her day so far. While she didn't mean to be rude, Jinta was so close to giving her a huge headache a couple of times. His bossy attitude towards Ururu only made her that much annoyed with him. It seemed that he enjoyed bullying her. She had no idea why that was though.

Once they had headed off to Urahara Shop, as it was getting time that school let out and she wanted to spend the rest of the day with Rukia, and she had put the stuff she bought, she headed off to their school. During the time that she was outside, she had only detected one Hollow, which she had easily slain. The money that she got from it was nice. It was actually that money that she used to pay for the two's ice cream.

"Rukia-chan!" Hinata called.

Two figures in the distance instantly stopped in their argument and turned their heads swiftly at the voice. Ichigo looked surprised to see her jogging over to them, while Rukia looked rather ecstatic to see her friend. She jogged off, meeting the girl half way and the two held each other's hands as they greeted each other. Ichigo grumbled to himself and followed behind, though at a leisurely pace.

There were a few students out walking who turned to the trio and stared curiously. Hinata ignored them, of course. She had no idea why they looked so surprised or curious but she didn't think that it mattered much at the moment.

"So how have you been doing?" Rukia asked.

The two let go of each other's hands and Hinata smiled down at Rukia. "I've been doing okay. I went out to buy some souvenirs for everyone back in Seiretei with Jinta-san and Ururu-san, though I'm afraid I haven't been able to buy everything today," she said.

"Really? What did you buy?" Rukia inquired.

For a moment Hinata didn't reply to Rukia. She looked up just as Ichigo reached them and bowed her head in respect. "Hello, Kurosaki-san. It's nice to see you again," she greeted.

He gave a lazy nod back. "Same. Hinata, right?"

The blunette nodded. The three were quick to be on their way. Hinata turned back to Rukia and answered, "Well, one of the things I bought was a bronze colored necklace watch, or I think that's what it's called. It's for to hang around your neck, so... Anyway, the only two other things I bought was a tea cup and some candy. I haven't yet decided what else to buy."

"Hey Ichigo," the noirette looked over the girl's head at the said boy, who turned to her and blinked, "do you have any ideas on good gifts to buy others?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, confused, and brought his hand to his neck. He rubbed the flesh and looked forward, a deep scowl on his face as he pondered on the question. "Don't know. It depends on the person's interests," he finally said.

"Kurosaki-san, do you know any good clothing stores?" Hinata suddenly asked.

"That depends, how much money are you hoping to spend?" Ichigo questioned.

"Not much," Hinata replied. "I-I'm not gonna be buying much clothing. Many one or two, but that's it. I'll have enough money for anything. Stuff in Soul Society is more expensive than here, so I'll be fine."

"Right, so just a store with good clothes," he concluded to himself. The boy took a moment to think. He scratched at his orange hair and looked to the sky. The trio moved to the side as some elementary kids ran past them, not giving them any attention. "Wait," Ichigo said suddenly, "you're not thinking of having me go with you?"

"Of course," it was Rukia who spoke, "how are we supposed to get there without your help?"

"I'll draw you a map," he shot.

Rukia faked a saddened face. She suddenly took out a handkerchief, so quickly that Hinata had to wonder whether Rukia really did lose her powers or not. The noirette wiped the imaginary tears from her eyes, turning away from Ichigo as if she could no longer look at him, too upset. "But what'll we do if we run into bad guys? The two of us maidens can't hope to defeat a bad guy all by ourselves. We need you there to protect us."

Ichigo's brow twitched, he was clearly disturbed by the act and he proved to be when he jumped back. "Yikes! Enough with the sad and innocent act! I'm not buying it! And you two are Shinigami, like hell you can't fight for yourselves!" he yelled. "I'm not going with you two and that's final."

Rukai huffed and crossed her arms, looking annoyed with the strawberry. Hinata would have commented on it, but decided against it. She didn't think she'd make matters better. Besides, she wouldn't have been able to even if she wanted, for she would have been interrupted. "Fine you big brute."

He grumbled to himself, something about 'annoying Shinigami' or other, but Hinata didn't catch it. She wondered whether she should continue asking him questions, after all he did look annoyed with them. Was she being a bother? Probably. She could already feel the guilt creeping up on her. "It's alright, Kurosaki-san. You can just give us a map or point us in the right direction. I understand that you have a family and school to worry about," Hinata relieved him.

"But Hinata, he can't leave us!" Rukia protested.

Hinata turned curious eyes to her. "Why?" she asked.

"Because what if a Hollow shows up? How's he going to handle it if he's not with us?" she explained.

"But doesn't he have a Gikon?"

"But he won't know when a Hollow appears without me with him."

"But you can give him your phone to help him, can't you?"

The noirette opened her mouth to say something, only to close it and open it once more, repeating the pattern. Hinata almost giggled at how much she resembled a fish with her mouth like that, seeing as how Rukia wasn't easily left speechless, but decided against it. She didn't think it was wise to laugh at a nobleman, or noblewoman in her case.

Although Hinata did raise an eyebrow when she saw Ichigo's eye twitch at the reminder of his Gikon. She wondered why he looked so hesitant and, dare she say it, afraid.

"I guess that's true, but to give him my Deinreishiki..." she muttered to herself in thought, one digit pressed to her bottom lip.

"I'm alright with giving him mine," Hinata told her.

Finally Rukia shut her mouth, knowing that she couldn't win this argument and agreed. "Alright, fine."

"Rukia-chan if you're that worried, remember that I'm also a Shinigami. If any Hollows come, I can just deal with them myself," Hinata assured.

"I guess you're right there."

Hinata tilted her head up to look at the much taller Ichigo, who walked still scowling to himself. Suddenly she got a brilliant idea. "If you'd like, Kurosaki-san, I can handle all the Hollows today so you don't have to worry about them. Tomorrow, too."

Both the two looked surprised at her offer.

"I understand that you have school in the morning and half of the afternoon. It must be hard to get away from class long enough to slay the Hollows and then make it back without anyone realizing you were gone," she said.

"Seriously?" he questioned, to which she nodded. "It sure would be nice to have a day off from killing Hollows. They've been a real pain in the neck lately."

"Well actually, I'm doing this for completely selfish reasons," Hinata muttered, though the boy seemed to hear.

"Huh? What's that?"

"How many have you had to slay since your time as Substitute Shinigami?" Hinata decided to change the subject.

He looked taken back by the question and rubbed his neck thoughtfully as he tried to count the many Hollows he'd slain in his head. Though he gave up quickly after when he realized he couldn't tell. "I don't know. But they've been coming everyday and it's annoying. I've probably already slain over thirty Hollows already."

"Over thirty Hollows...?" Rukia hadn't even been here for more than a month and a half. To have such a high number, that was insane! Something was definitely wrong here. Something that Hinata knew could mean trouble to Soul Society and to the Human World. Just what was happening? That number was anything but reassuring. _I'm gonna have to make a call back to Captain Hitsugaya and get his input on this. Maybe even call Captain Aizen and see how everything's going with him._

"Hey, Rukia-chan?" Hinata leaned down so that she was closer to the girl's height, as she was taller, and whispered in her ear. "Do you think something's happening in Hueco Mundo or something? There shouldn't be this many Hollows showing up in less than two months. That's just too high."

Rukia nodded in agreement. "I agree. Unfortunately I don't know what's happening either. I've been trying to do some research but it's hard with this stupid gigai and me not having my powers. I can't do much as I am now."

"Do you want me to do some research of my own? I know that Captain Hitsugaya would like me to and I've been planning on it anyway, but I wasn't sure how much you've gotten done and so haven't done much," Hinata whispered back.

"I think that's for the best. I'd like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. The Hollows showing up might also tie in with why my powers aren't recovering as quick as their supposed to," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I lost my powers two days after I came to this world and since I haven't recovered much of it. While I don't know the normal time in which my powers should come, I'm sure that it shouldn't be taking this long. I figured that I'd get it back a week after I lost them, but it's been over a month now," she explained.

"That's worrying," Hinata muttered.

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about over there?" Ichigo demanded.

"Alright, I'll do as much research as I can while I'm here and report what I've found to you," Hinata told her.

Rukia nodded, "Thanks. I appreciate it."

The two broke away from each other and Hinata gave Ichigo an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san. I was just asking Rukia-chan if she knew a good gift to buy for one of my friends," she lied.

Luckily, Ichigo seemed to accept that as he didn't ask further. The three walked around some more chatting - well, Rukia and Hinata chatted, Ichigo just stayed quiet most of the way and only gave short responses when asked something or he'd ask them a question or two himself. Finally the three broke from each other, Hinata and Rukia going one way and Ichigo the other. Though before they parted, Ichigo gave the two females directions to some shops he knew that they might like, to which Hinata thanked them. Then they were on their way.

* * *

Hinata stood atop a tall pole, her shihakusho lightly whipping in the soft breeze that passed by. Her eyes, sharp and fierce, searched for something, anything she could find within Karakura town. As she had planned, she was out searching for any clues as to what was happening. Though she got an idea as to why, she wasn't too sure.

"It's strange. I don't know how I missed it, but there are a lot of spiritually aware humans here." Hinata bit the tip of her thumb nail, her Byakugan doing another sweep of the city. "Thirty... forty... fifty... sixty... seventy... eighty... no, I can't count all of them. There's over two hundred spiritually aware humans here, although only a couple of them have enough to fully see Hollows."

But... Hinata's eyes concentrated onto one particular figure. Out of all the beings in the town, he seemed to have the most spirit energy. Even from her position here, so far away from him, she could feel his spiritual pressure, and he looked to be partially hiding some of it within himself. Thanks to her Byakugan, she could see the actual amount he possessed, and she could safely say that he had the most out of all the humans she'd seen and sensed.

_He's also the guy I encountered when I first came here, _she thought.

But that was not including Ururu and Jinta. They probably had the most spirit energy out of all the humans, even more than the one she had met earlier. He just came in first because she had excluded the two kids. _I also wasn't including Kurosaki-san, but I'd say at this point he has about as much as that boy, _Hinata pondered.

"Could this be the reason why there are so many Hollows here?" she mused. "It would explain it. Hollows are attracted to those who possess an above average amount of spirit energy. The more one possess, the more Hollows they attract. With so many here, it's no wonder that the Hollows are coming left and right."

This was a problem. It was no wonder she had sensed a lot of Hollows and why Ichigo said he'd defeated over thirty Hollows in the past month. With so many above average humans, and many more becoming more and more aware everyday, the amount of Hollows appearing would only increase. This was definitely not good.

Hinata dug into her hakama's pockets and took out her Deinreishiki. Flipping it open, she dialed her captain's number and pressed it to her ear. It rung for a full minute before turning off and Hinata cursed silently. She tried calling him again, but still there was no answer.

_I'm gonna have to try calling him back later, _she thought.

With a sigh, Hinata went to her contacts and pressed on a familiar name. There was someone else she needed to talk to about this as well...

"Hey you!"

The girl started, giving a gasp as her foot slipped and she found herself plummeting to the ground. She heard something yelling for her to be careful and her hand shot out to grabbed firmly onto the pole. She slid for only a moment and when she stopped, she gave a sigh. Acting quickly, she pushed herself up and onto the pole, only to realize that she didn't have to worry about falling as she was a Shinigami.

Wait... she was a Shinigami so...

The girl looked down at the sigh of relief and her eyes widened when she saw a brown-haired male pale-looking _human. _No, wait. It seemed that he looked pale because of her, as he was gaining the color back to his face. He panted a bit before raising his hand and grinning goofily. "Wow, that was amazing! You were falling and then you just grabbed the pole and flipped up to the top! How'd you do that?"

"Umm..." She blinked a few times, at a loss for words. She was still shocked that this human could see her. Though what shocked her more was that she hadn't even sensed him coming up behind her.

"Come on, you can tell me~" he practically sang out, waving a hand.

Her brow rose at this strange human. He was so goofy, it actually reminded her of someone... "I-it was just a reflex, I guess," she replied awkwardly.

"Oh, so you can talk! But why are you up there in the first place? Wait a second, is that a sword?!" he yelled, pointing at the sword's sheath.

Hinata looked down at her sword briefly before she straightened and jumped down on the ground beside him, landing with a soft _pat! _and making him pale and jump back in fear for her. He gave a small cry before shakily straightening and looking at her in shock.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head just the slightest to the left.

"A-a-a-a... That was so cool! You just jumped down from up there and landed on the ground without no problem! Normally a person would break their legs or something, but you look perfectly fine!" he shouted, waving his arms about. "You're like superman or something! Wait, that's it. You have a sword and you can jump from high places without a problem. I know, you're a samurai who's been sent on a mission to kill some lord and-"

_Superman... Samurai sent on a what...? _she thought. Hinata stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do as he continued to blabber on and on. She still needed to make that call...

"By the way, I'm Keigo Asano, what's your name pretty lady?" he suddenly asked, catching her off guard.

"Um, Hinata Hyuga. N-nice to meet you," she replied.

"Well Hinata-san, if you need anything feel free to ask me!" he told her.

She just nodded. "Sure... Um, I have to get going now, I'll uh... see you around, I guess...?"

"You're going already? But we've only met. Wait," he suddenly gasped, startling her, "it's not because of me, is it? Did I do something wrong? Oh no!"

Hinata slowly, slowly walked away as he continued to blabber on. Once she decided she was a good distance away, she turned on her heels and jumped, getting away from the strange human. _That was weird, _she thought with a sigh. She felt a little bad that she just left him there, but he was just so strange. She didn't know if she could handle being there for much longer.

_At least now I can call him, _she thought.

* * *

**~Review~**


	10. Back to Soul Society

**AN: **Yay, I got it out the day I said I would! I'm so proud of myself :)

* * *

The stars twinkled faintly in the midnight sky. The sun had fallen a few hours ago and now the moon shown brightly, greedily filling the darkness with its dim light. The full moon was beautiful with its unearthly glow, that basked her form like a blanket. Her eyes, in response to the moon, glowed as a lilac, almost white, color. A gentle wind blew, persuading her dark locks to flutter in the breeze. She inhaled a breath and then exhaled it slowly.

Peace, that was all she could think of at the moment. It was mostly quiet with just the right amount of noise to keep her mind at ease. She enjoyed it. The only wish she had at the moment was that the peace lasted for longer. However, no matter how much she wished or acted naive to it, she knew that it would soon be broken.

"I just hope that this time, there will only be a few lives that are taken," she whispered.

Hinata's shihakusho rustled as she moved to sit down on the tiled roof of Urahara Shop. She slid her Zanpakutou, Hiei, out of the red sash that held him to her left hip, and placed it on her crossed legs, admiring his beauty.

Despite knowing that Kisuke and the others were keeping close watch over her she did not hesitate to talk. "It's been a while since we were able to talk again, hasn't it, Hiei?" she said to seemingly no one.

The sword glowed a faint and eerie gold before it settled. Behind her, Hinata felt a presence appear. It was foggy at first and hard to see; transparent. But slowly and surely the figure began to materialize. Hinata didn't even look back to see who it was, already knowing. She lowered her head, her eyes closing as a smile appeared on her young face.

"Hn," the figure grunted.

She gave a soft chuckle at his response. She should have figured that he wouldn't give her an appropriate answer, but she didn't mind. After all, that was just who he was, and she was fine with it.

"You sure sound happy," she commented.

He did not reply, but Hinata already knew he wouldn't. He was still pretty easy to read. Though on the contrary, she could still not totally figure his aloof self out.

"Are you going to sit down?" Hinata asked.

She twisted her body a little so that she could look at her Zanpakuto. Lilac met glowing crimson and the two stared at each other for what felt like eternity, but was only a few seconds. Hiei's black tail flickered, waving lightly back and forth. His eyes closed for the briefest of seconds before he decided to settle down beside her. Resting his head upon his small hands, his tail moved to wrap around his body.

"A big battle's coming up. Are you ready?" she inquired softly.

He gave another grunt. "Isn't the better question, are you ready?" he shot back.

Hinata smiled and turned from her Zanpakuto, instead opting to look at the sky. She had been wondering that herself. She could always say that she was, but she got the feeling that it wouldn't be the whole truth. Was she really ready? She... Hinata shook her head, the haunting nightmares making an entrance to her mind and she had to push it to the back of her head as far as possible. She couldn't have doubts.

"Yes, I think I'm ready," she answered after a moment.

"Hinata," he breathed out. The two's eyes locked on once more and his red orbs narrowed, the displeasure with her evident. She didn't dare look away, knowing that if she did, she would be discovered. No, she was already discovered. Nothing could escape his eyes. "If you think you're ready, then you aren't. It's either, 'yes, I'm ready' or 'no, I'm not'. There isn't any 'think's," he told her.

She faltered at his words, flinching at the harsh truth.

"If you're going to hesitate for even one moment then consider using me impossible. I won't let weaklings wield me," he continued.

The blunette looked back to the midnight sky once more, allowing her bangs and side strands to block her face from his view. She knew... she already knew that she couldn't hesitate. Even for the briefest of seconds that she did, it could mean the end of everyone and everything she loved. She couldn't have doubts, especially with how far ahead she was.

_I can't let anything stop me, _she thought. If she did, then she would never be able to complete her mission. If she was going to do this, then she would be strong and confident and hold her head up with no wavering thoughts. Nothing could get in the way of her goal. Not her enemies and not her friennds; not even the many deaths she knew would result in her decision.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry. I'm ready." With eyes slitted in determination Hinata looked back at him. Her eyes did not waver, her body did not falter. She would do this. She had already gone beyond the point of no return. If she backed out now, many more lives would be taken than from her decision. Both from her side and from the enemies, with her loved ones suffering the most.

"You stuttered," he pointed out.

"I'm sorry..."

"Are you sure you're really up to this?" he asked once more.

She nodded firmly. "Yes, I'm sure. I've already made preparations of my own."

"You're probably going to die. Do you still want to go through with this with this knowledge?" he persisted.

"Yes," she nodded. The wind picked up, sweeping her loose blue hair in the wind. The coolness was a welcome to her hot body and she savored it for as long as she was allowed to. Being so close to Hiei, the fire-type Zanpakuto, made it rather uncomfortable with the heat he radiated combined with the heated night. "I won't back down, not when I'm so far ahead."

"That's you're final answer?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I understand. Try not to die," he told her.

She gasped suddenly, startling Hiei though he did not show it visibly. "I know that Zanpakuto die with their master but... If I die, will you disappear as well?" she asked hesitantly.

He snorted at the question." I'm your Zanpakuto, meaning I'm a part of your soul now. If you die, I die. Mizuhime will die as well. I may not have become a Zanpakuto the natural way, but doesn't mean I won't disappear. You know this already," he replied.

He sighed, sensing her hesitance. Of course she'd worry, that was the kind of person she was. It figured that he'd end up with a kindhearted soul instead of a bloodthirsty killer. He briefly wondered whether having a more chaos-loving owner would have been better. It would definitely save him from all the tears and sadness.

"Now you're having doubts? Pathetic. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine." Despite his words, she was still worried. He grunted in annoyance. "If you're that concerned about us, then just don't die. It's that simple."

The solemn look did not suit her, or at least Hiei thought it did not. She was still young, not even as old as himself. While he usually didn't give a damn about others, she was his wielder, he HAD to care for her. The more negative she felt, the darker her world became. He may like the dark but even that bothered him. It was his job as her Zanpakuto to make sure that she was alright, and while he didn't like it, he tried to make sure that she was.

Her inner world was growing darker, her soul wearier. He didn't even have to be there to know. Her doubts kept her back and her mind haunted her with images of her loved ones' deaths. The weight of her decision was almost too much for her, he knew. She wasn't used to this kind of pressure, but she had already resolved to go through with it. As her Zanpakuto, he'd stand by her side and help her through it. He wouldn't let her be crushed. Not by anyone or anything.

"Straighten up, Hinata," he ordered.

Her name on his lips sounded odd, he couldn't remember the last time he had called her by name. No, he never did call her by name. He'd always refer to her as 'woman', but he figured that he'd use it this one. She deserved it. Or rather, she needed it.

"Hiei...?" she whispered softly, skeptically.

"Hn." He looked away from her, towards the source of that vile reiatsu he could feel in the distance. But it was weak, really weak. He had no doubt that the Hollow was fragile, but it was still trouble anyway. "Can you feel that?" he questioned.

The blunette's head perked up. She squinted in the direction he faced and her brows knitted in concentration. It didn't take her long before she felt the familiar sensation only a Hollow could emit. With a start, the girl gripped at her sword's sheath and stood alert. "I didn't even sense it until you mentioned it." _I'm starting to lose it, _she thought.

"I'll be going now." He didn't even wait for her reply. His body disappeared with a small wave of his energy, leaving behind not even a trace of evidence he was there.

Hinata gave a soft sigh. She didn't even feel her phone ringing in alarm of the Hollow, she ignored it. Wasting no time, she set off towards the Hollow, her sheath back in its place at her hip and her blade drawn. Using shunpo, she got to the Hollow in the blink of an eye. Not sparing any time, she charged.

The Hollow gave a blood-chilling screech. It ran goosebumps up her arm, but she shook off the feeling. With the speed of a high-speed train, Hinata sliced at the Hollows mask. Her sharp blade cut through the bone mask as if it were butter, blood sprayed from his sliced head like a waterfall and flowed to the ground. The Hollow gave one last cry before it disintegrated into air along with the blood, leaving nothing behind of its being there besides the faint traces of its spiritual pressure.

Hinata straightened from her crouch and sheathed her blade. The now familiar sound of Ichigo and Rukia arguing reached her ears and she concentrated on their spiritual pressures to make sure that she really did hear and sense them. When it turned out that she did, she frowned in confusion. She had told Ichigo and Rukia that she'd take over slaying Hollows for today and tomorrow, so why were they coming her way?

She shook her head. No, it didn't matter. She didn't really care anyway, not at the moment.

Turning on her heals, Hinata flew off back to Urahara Shop, deciding that she wouldn't stick around to meet them. She felt the need to be left alone at the moment, seeing them would only cause trouble not only for her, but for them. She had a lot to think about and that was what she would do, think.

* * *

"Oh, Hinata. It's good to see you again! How was your trip to the World of the Living?"

The blunette set the bags she held in her arms gently onto the stone floor. The Senkaimon behind her slowly shut closed with a loud creak, the light within it slowly diminishing with the doors closing. She straightened, wiping her forehead of the small amount of sweat from carrying the rather heavy bags and gave a small sigh. Looking up, her eyes met those of Captain's Aizen's warm chocolate eyes.

"Captain Aizen, hello! Thank you so much for meeting me here," she quickly said, bowing low to him in gratitude.

He of course, waved the thanks away and just smiled. Walking over to her, he bent over to peer at the bags she had set down curiously. "It was no problem, I was happy to come meet you here. But Hinata-chan, what are the bags for?" he asked.

"Oh, that's right!" She straightened and went over to one of the bags, digging into it. Aizen watched her silently, curious as to the bag's contents and what it was she was looking for. Finally, she dug up a small box and handed it to the captain, who blinked a few times in surprise. "It's for you, captain. I hope you like it."

"Oh, what's this?" he questioned, looking at the box curiously. It was a plain emerald green box with a teal and midnight blue bow on the side. His fingers twitched to open it, but he refrained.

"It's a souvenir I got for you from the World of the Living. I also got Captain Hitsugaya one, and Rangiku-san one, as well as Momo-chan and the others. I wasn't sure what exactly to get you, so I had to take a guess," she explained.

"Ah, I see. That's very considerate of you. You don't mind if I open it later, do you?" he asked, to which he received a negative. The brunette put the the box within his sleeves, deciding that he'd open it once he got to the barracks. Aizen grabbed at one of the bags and hoisted it up to cradle it in his arms.

This alarmed Hinata and she quickly moved to protest, not wanting to bother the captain. "Captain Aizen, you don't have to carry it. I can do it myself. Please, I'd hate for you to bother yourself with something as trivial as this."

"Don't worry, I'm happy to help. Now, would you like me to carry the other bag as well?" he asked.

She quickly shook her head and lifted the last bag left. "No, please. I'll carry it. You've already done so much, Captain Aizen."

He sent her a wide, no-toothed smile. "Alright, if that's what you wish. Where are you planning on heading first? I'll help carry the bag for you there."

"I was going to go report to Captain Hitsugaya. By the way, Captain Aizen?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Would it be okay that, once I've reported to my captain, could I talk with you. In private?"

He looked taken back at her request, but nodded anyway. His expression turned serious and he knew that this would be important. "I take it that something happened in the World of the Living?"

Hinata nodded grimly. "Yes. I've already talked with Captain Hitsugaya a little about it, but I'd like to tell you both everything that I learned during my visit. It's troubling."

"You don't have to say anything right now, I understand. We'll talk about this later, once you're done," he told her.

"Thank you."

The two walked to the Tenth Division's barracks in relate silence. Halfway to there though, Hinata decided to tell him all about the marvelous sights in the World of the Living. She had left a few things out, though, deciding it would be better to tell him when she talked about her discoveries. Once the two had gotten to the barracks, they went straight to Toshiro's office. The officers they passed by all greeted the two and bowed upon seeing that she was walking with Aizen.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Aizen called, tapping the door lightly.

They heard a low 'come in' before the captain opened the door to reveal the office. At the desk sat Toshiro, a bunch of paperwork to do as always. Rangiku was no where in sight, but that wasn't surprising.

Hinata bowed to the waist, telling him, "It's nice to see you again, Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Aizen, Hyuga," he muttered in surprise. "What are you doing here?" the question was more meant for Aizen, as he wasn't part of the squad and didn't come to the office very often.

The two walked further into the office and Hinata set the bag in her hand down onto the couch gently, with Aizen following her lead. Looking up, her lilac orbs met his teal ones and the two stared at each other briefly.

"What's with the bags?" he questioned.

"Oh these? They're souvenirs that I bought for everyone in the World of the Living," she told him.

"Is Lieutenant Rangiku not here?" Aizen asked, noticing that the strawberry blonde wasn't in the room.

This made a vein throb in Toshiro's forehead. "Unfortunately, no. She's off goofing around as always, I'm sure."

"That's good," Aizen muttered, though the two heard. This confused Toshiro. "Hinata-chan, I expect this to be the perfect time to tell us, wouldn't you agree? You said that you wanted to tell Captain Hitsugaya as well and this is the perfect chance."

"Yes, of course."

"Tell us what?" Toshiro questioned, looking to Hinata for answers.

"It's about the discoveries I made in the Human World," she answered. With those words only, the atmosphere turned serious. Hinata didn't seem to notice. She clapped her hands together and went over to the two bags stationed on the sofa. "Just a second," she muttered. Digging through one of the two bags, she pulled out a wrapped box, much like the one she had given Aizen except the box was dark blue with a teal and aqua green bow. Walking back to his desk, she set it in front of him.

He raised an eyebrow and picked the box up gently. His gaze was hard as he looked at it intently, wondering what it was. "What's this?" He untied the bow as Aizen walked closer to him to peer inside the box to see what it was. The brunette had a good feeling as to what, but she did say that she was going to tell them about the discoveries she'd made in the Human World.

Hinata just smiled a closed-eye smile, her hands clasped behind her back as she watched them.

"It's..." he paused to open the lid and he blinked a few times in surprise, "a cup."

"I thought so," Aizen said.

"Huh?" Toshiro looked at the captain questioningly. "You mean you knew what she was going to give me?"

"No, no, I didn't mean that. I," he paused to pull out a box much like Toshiro's from his sleeve, "also received a gift from her. I didn't know what was in it, but I figured that it was the souvenir she had told us about when I saw the box."

"Huh..."

"Oh, but that's not all!" Hinata suddenly said.

The two turned to her to see what else she was going to give, but she didn't say. Instead, she dug into her hakamas' pocket and pulled out something long and thin, which she set on her captain's desk for display. "This is also for you. When I was in the World of the Living I heard about this and immediately got it for you."

The silverette picked up the item and stared at it. It was a long black pen with small and cute little peaches littered on it. "This is..."

"Turn it, turn it," she instructed.

He did as so...

And his eye twitched.

"I heard that you can put a picture on a pen and even on other things, and I immediately went to check it out. Unfortunately I didn't have many pictures with me so I was limited, but I thought that you'd still like it," she chirped.

Aizen leaned in closer to inspect it, a hand gripping his chin thoughtfully. "My, that's fascinating. I didn't think there was such a thing. And this picture..."

"It's Momo-chan sleeping!" Hinata said.

"But why a picture of Momo-chan sleeping?" Aizen asked curiously.

"Oh, that's because-"

"Hyuga!" he yelled, quickly halting her in her speech.

She flinched at his loud voice and ducked her head, giving a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Aizen hummed knowingly, "Ah, I understand now."

"Not you too! It's not like that!" Toshiro quickly denied.

The brunette blinked a few times, puzzled. "So it's not? I thought it was because you and Momo-chan were best friends and so that's why she had a picture of Momo-chan. But by your reaction..."

Toshiro gaped, realizing his mistake and earning a chuckle from Aizen.

"Yes, I understand now," Aizen said, "Though I can't say I knew of it until now, although the signs were pretty obvious, I guess I wasn't really looking. Well, I'm glad for both of you."

"It's not like that!"

"Ah, but there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Momo-chan is a sweet and attractive young girl, and you're a strong and handsome young boy. It's only expected that you two would start seeing each other in that light, you are good childhood friends. There's no shame in having an interest in the opposite sex," Aizen said.

Ticks appeared on Toshiro's head and his cheeks heated, tainting them a lovely shade of pink. "I don't like Momo!"

Hinata decided to join in on the fun as well. "Captain Hitsugaya it's okay to have a crush on a girl. I remember when I was your age, I used have this huge crush on a guy as well. I could never admit it because I'd always get so flustered around him and I thought that he thought I was really weird and so I tried to hide it. He also had another girl that he really really liked and I thought that I didn't stand a chance, so I never confessed. But I'm pretty sure pretty much everyone knew. I was only twelve back then and I wasn't very good with expression myself." She sighed blissfully, remember the yellow-haired knucklehead she had fallen in love with, "I was so young back then."

"You're still young!" Toshiro yelled, "And don't talk like you're older than me!"

"Yes, I also remember having this one girl that I really liked. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to tell her, but I'd always get flustered thinking about her or when I was near her," Aizen said.

"Really captain? I never knew that," Hinata said, to which Toshiro gave a curt nod in agreement, seemingly forgetting his anger as his interest rose on the subject.

He nodded, "Unfortunately she died, so I never got to tell her. But enough about my love life, Hitsugaya-kun why don't you confess to Momo-chan?"

His blush was back, as well as the tick. "I told you, I don't like her like that!"

"I think he's just really shy to tell her," Aizen whispered to Hinata, somehow appearing right beside her during Toshiro's yelling.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed, "I think he's too scared of Momo-chan rejecting him to confess. But I don't know why he's so scared, I'm sure that Momo-chan already knows. He's not very good at hiding it."

"You think so?"

She nodded. "Yeah. There was this one time where Momo-chan was being badmouthed by one of the other Shinigami and Captain Hitsugaya ended up threatening to punish him because of it when he'd heard," she told him.

"I've heard about that, although I didn't know that Hitsugaya-kun's the one that dealt with him. Momo-chan's friends told me how she was getting picked on and I was going to take care of it once I was finished with some work, but by the time I was free it had already been dealt with. I didn't know that it was Hitsugaya-kun that took care of it," he replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Oh, and there was also this time when Captain Hitsugaya and Momo-chan had gone off to the Rukongai to visit someone on their day off and I also had a day off, so I thought I'd go with them because I wanted to go outside of Seireitei and check out the other districts. I had only gone a little ways off from them when all of a sudden, a-"

"Hyuga!" Toshiro quickly interrupted, his cheeks reddening even further.

Aizen chuckled at how flustered the silverette was getting, with Hinata following his example. "I think we've teased him enough. Why don't we get back to what we were previously discussing before this?"

"Alright," she agreed, trying hard to wipe off the smile on her face but failing. "What were we talking about?"

"You were going to tell us about what you discovered while in the World of the Living," he reminded.

"Ah yes," she remembered.

* * *

**AN: **A blushing Toshiro is so adorable, don't you think? Too bad he doesn't blush much in the anime or manga. By the way, I've read the Thousand-Year Blood War arc (or all the chapters out for it) and oh my gosh, I have such mixed feelings. DAMN YOU KUBO FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW! I swear, (SPOILER) if Toshiro doesn't come back or Mayuri doesn't do as I wish, then I'll kill either that mad scientist or that crossdresser! Kubo-san you're so mean! HITSUGAYA-TAICHOU! TT-TT

(END SPOILER)

Sorry about that, I'm just adklj;gakjgkljadfadlj;f! But the good news is that I might just go to the end of Bleach, as in all the arcs and not just stop after the Aizen arc. Isn't that great? I just ask that you help keep me motivated so that I can finish this story :3

**~Review~**


	11. Having Some Fun

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long. I was trying to keep on schedule but my mind was being a B... I've been so focused on my new story, Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan and Naruto crossover. Seeing that I couldn't find any story in that section with Hinata as the main focus inspired me to write it. I've got so many ideas bubbled up in my head and it's been distracting me. I can't even do my homework! And school's being so mean. I have so much homework to do TT-TT

* * *

By the time they had finished talking it had gotten late into the afternoon, almost evening. Hinata was forced to repeat everything she had talked about to the Head Captain (with a few minor changes here and there). At first it didn't look like the Head Captain would consent to her request, to allow Rukia to stay longer in the World of the Living and observe the strange happenings.

He told her it would be better if a more experienced Shinigami was sent out to deal with this.

However, with the help of Captain Aizen (oh how thankful she was for his kind and understanding heart), they were able to convince him to at lease consider it. Of course, it came with some conditions. Hinata of course agreed. If it meant Rukia would be given more time for her powers to return, then it was fine by her. Even if it meant all the attention would now fall on Hinata.

"I will hold a Captains Meeting to further discuss this with the other captains. You may be dismissed," Head Captain gave her permission to leave after the long tense meeting.

She bowed to the old man and left the room. Before she left, she and Captain Aizen exchanged a look, one that did not go unnoticed by Captain Hitsugaya.

Now back in Captain Hitsugaya's office, Hinata walked over to the red sofa where the bags had been situated on. To her surprise, she found that they weren't there. Looking around the room, being careful not to mess anything up, she couldn't find the bags anymore. Someone had taken the souvenirs!

Only one name flashed through her mind. There was only one person who would do something like this.

Rangiku.

* * *

Early the next day Hinata was called for another meeting, this time with all the other captains. She was, of course, extremely nervous. This meeting would decide the fate of Rukia, after all. Whether the other captains knew this or not. With the Hell Butterfly latched on to her finger, Hinata got up from her bed and prepared for the meeting as she listened intently to the message given to her.

It was short and brief and straight to the point. With only a minute long, the butterfly was soon on its way out. Hinata gave herself a quick check, making sure everything was in place before quickly heading out.

She had to stop four times to calm her nerves, feeling more and more nervous with each step that she took. A quarter of the way there she had bumped into Captain Hitsugaya and during her stops he seemed to grow more and more annoyed. He of course, hid this as best he could, but Hinata could see that his patience was running low.

He wasn't much of a morning person, was he?

"So, mind telling me why your so nervous?" he asked her after a while of silence.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she questioned, trying hard - and failing - to not stutter.

She was never a good liar.

"You're awfully jumpy for just a meeting. Why is that?"

"I'm just... nervous about being in the same room as so m-many captains," she lied.

"Uh-huh," he obviously didn't believe her. "And I suppose it has nothing to do with what you and Kuchiki are hiding?"

"Wh-what?" Hinata almost jumped at the accusation.

He came to a stop and crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. She stopped as well and the two stared at each other, one searching for something while the other trying to hide the something. The few Shinigami out patrolling or just hanging around were ignored in favor of the moment.

"You still haven't told me everything that's going on," he stated. "What I don't understand is why you're so adamant about keeping your secret. What are you hiding from us?"

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. Her gaze turned downward in guilt as she couldn't continue look at him any further.

"You know, you're a terrible liar. One day I will find out, you know."

_On the contrary, _she couldn't help but think.

"I've said before that I wouldn't force you into confessing, and I won't. But as your commanding officer, I wish that you'd put more trust in me."

She didn't say anything.

He sighed at the lack of response, "Listen Hyuga, I may be your captain but I'll warn you now: if that secret of yours puts Soul Society in danger, I will be forced to stop you. I'm not afraid to do so either."

She could only nod.

* * *

Hinata could honestly say that, while the meeting was nerve-wrecking, it was definitely not the worst thing she's ever gone through. Meetings with her father were ten times worse than what she had experienced there. Contrary to her belief, the meeting went much smoothly than she had thought it would. That was thanks to Captain Aizen though, she supposed. He was a great help in convincing the others. When questioned about her knowledge and motives, he was quick to defend her.

It was agreed that she'd make periodical visits to the World of the Living to check on it. Along with that, she would, with the help of Captain Aizen, put up a small barrier around a part of Karakura town to drive out Hollows. Had she enough spirit energy, she would have been able to do this by herself. Unfortunately she hadn't yet mastered the barrier she had created nor was her reserves big enough.

Without enough spirit energy, she couldn't make it as big as needed.

This way, they'd be able to observe the happenings in the unguarded area of the town and the guarded. Hopefully, it would give them more insight of what was happening and the causes. They had their theories, but they needed proof.

There were some captains that protested to this, then there were others who didn't care at all. One of them was an in between. Hearing that it was a barrier she herself created was as shocking to them as it was troubling. They didn't know how well this barrier worked and so weren't sure whether to trust her.

Again, Captain Aizen was the one to assure them it was fine. Captain Ichimaru, having been helping in her training along with Captain Aizen, was there to back him up. Both assured them that it was reliable, though warned that it wasn't quite complete yet.

So it was decided that in two days she'd go to the World of the Living with Captain Aizen to put up the barrier.

After more discussion they were finally dismissed. Hinata made to get away and, hopefully, find Rangiku. She had tried searching for the busty woman yesterday but couldn't find her anyway. Her souvenirs were still gone as well (though she got the feeling that Rangiku was distributing it to everyone).

"Hold on, Hinata-chan~"

The sing-song voice made her pause mid-step and twist her body just a little so she could fully see Captain Ichimaru.

"I hope ya haven't forgotten, but it's about time for our li'l trainin' session." He wiggled his finger left and right, as if disappointed in her when he saw her surprise. She had forgotten and it was written all over her face. "I'm a li'l hurt. Am I not important enough to remember?"

She blushed and shook her head. "No, no," she quickly denied.

"Well," he grabbed a shoulder with a hand and led her out the door, "let's get goin' then! I've this great new trainin' plan in mind!"

And she was dragged out of the room just like that. She didn't notice the amused looks some of the captains sent their way.

* * *

"Y-you know," Hinata began, crouching atop the many buildings in sight, "when you said you had a new 'training plan', I didn't think this is what you meant."

"Ssh," he told her, putting a finger to his lips in a hushing motion. He smirked deviously, "It's time."

Hinata gave an unsure hum but obliged nonetheless. She should have known that the prankster was up to no good. She only wished she had refused when she had the chance. _I'm so getting in trouble for this, _she couldn't help but think.

Down below strode the unsuspecting Byakuya Kuchiki. At his side was the other unsuspecting soul, Renji Abarai. They were slowing making their way to the two's hiding spot, both yet to notice them. In Renji's hands was a mountain of paperwork, which he had to look over to see in front of him. Byakuya held a stack of his own, though this one noticeably smaller.

Slowly and slowly they were making their way closer.

Hinata dreaded what was coming up next.

They were now in hearing range. Renji seemed to be making some idle chit-chat with Byakuya, who didn't look interested in what his subordinate was saying. But he always was like that. Closer and closer they came, and Hinata's nervousness only grew.

This would be messy.

"Ready?" Gin whispered.

"A-are you sure we should do this?" she questioned.

He hummed, "Yup! It's trainin'!"

She could only sigh.

The two went into position.

And even closer they were. Now they were almost over them. Gin gave the signal and, with a gulp, Hinata spilled the contents of the bucket in her hands, watching nervously as it was dumped all over the captain and vice captain of Squad Six.

Both stopped dead in their tracks and Renji screamed in outrage and disgust. Two pairs of heads snapped to their offender and Renji questioned who had done that.

Hinata squeaked at the deadly glare, shuddering as the pressure increased with the killer intent they released. Oh god, why had she done this again?

"Now RUN!"

She didn't need to be told twice.

Turning on her heels, Hinata ran after Gin, escaping the two furious Shinigami. She thought she was doing a pretty fabulous job at it. She was fast, and she was getting away. Then the killer intent rose and she almost smashed into the ground, having to balance herself once more as she stumbled at the wave of deadly spiritual pressure. Looking back, she blanched at what she saw and heard.

_"Scatter, Senbozakura," _was whispered in the air.

The abrupt increase in spiritual pressure and the pretty pink sakura blossoms appearing out of nowhere and charging straight at them and her squeak with fright. The sharp, very very sharp, sharp blades sped at them and she barely dodged a swipe at her. Beside her, Gin only snickered loudly, sounding much like a deranged madman amused by the fact they very, very close to getting killed by the Byakuya Kuchiki.

She knew she shouldn't have agreed to this. Training or not.

_I'm gonna die!_

* * *

Hinata collapsed on the hard ground, unaffected by the harsh landing as she was too preoccupied trying to catch her breath. She heaved a sigh, completely and utterly exhausted from the chase. Beside her, Gin stood composed, completely okay after the mad dash they had done, and smirking like the madman he was. From the snickering she could tell he more amused with the situation than worried that one of the strongest Shinigami was after their heads.

Hinata was just glad that they had been able to escape from the deadly Byakuya Kuchiki with their lives still intact. Though she doubted that the game of cat and mouse was over with.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she looked up at the captain, "C-captain Ichimaru, I still don't understand how dumping a bunch of garbage on Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai is considered training."

He shook his head at her, as if disappointed with her naivety. Then again, he probably was. With a sigh he said, "Isn't it obvious?" He was suddenly beside her, his face mere inches from hers, "By getting Captain Kuchiki angry and trying ta kill us, this is the perfect way to help ya with yer speed and stealth."

"But did we have to dump garbage on him?" she muttered under breath.

He apparently heard.

"Well of course! Captain Kuchiki isn't one to easily get angry. Dumping garbage one him is a sure way for him to be after our heads!" He sounded so cheerful saying that, as if it was no big deal to him that _the_ Byakuya Kuchiki was after them.

Hinata could only sigh dejectedly. She knew that she should avoid the captain of Squad Six and its lieutenant for a few days.

Feeling the killing intent once more locked on to them from a distance away, she corrected that thought.

Make that a few weeks.

* * *

After her time with Gin was up and she had escaped the detection of the two furious men after her once more, she made her way to Squad Five's private training grounds where she would now be training with Aizen in Kido. She was dead tired by the time she arrived and would have dropped to the ground there and then if not for character.

"Ah, you've finally arrived," he greeted.

Hinata gave him a small nod, knowing that if she tried to bow that she'd just fall over and then be unable to get up. That was just how exhausted she was.

"Are you alright? You seem tired," he commented.

Aizen walked up to her and gripped her shoulders lightly, allowing her some relief as he supported her. Walking her to a nice comfy spot on the grass, he gently pushed her down and made sure she was fine before letting go.

Hinata nodded, "I-I apologize, Captain Aizen. My training... with Captain Ichimaru was a little more taxing than usual and I'm just a little tired."

"I know it's not in my place to pry, but what is it that you and him were doing that made you so exhausted?"

The blunette shuddered at the reminder, the image of both Renji's and Byakuya's deadly glares once more bringing fear to her. She was positive that they were still out to get her after the prank Gin made her pull with him. They definitely looked like they were ready to maim someone. Even the nearest person in sight would have probably done it, no matter who that person was.

"We... tried something new. H-he came up with a new type of training that worked on speed and stealth." Well, it definitely was helping her increase her running skills. She didn't think she'd run as fast as he had then.

"By your wording I'm afraid to ask what it is that he had you do," Aizen said.

"I... don't feel like talking about it."

He nodded in understanding. "How about we skip Kido training today and just relax? Relaxing is a part of training as well," he suggested.

She would have protested against this but the ache in her muscles convinced her to agree.

* * *

By the end of the day Hinata could honestly say she was ready to collapse. Opening the door to her relatively big room, she stepped inside and shut it behind her. Immediately she was at her futon and she flopped down on it, her head hitting the soft pillow and she gave a sigh of relief as she shut her eyes.

All she wanted to do at the moment was sleep. She had never longed for the bed as much as now.

After meditating with Aizen and getting the much needed relaxation, she had left to go eat. He had to go take care of some business and since her time training with him was up, she decided she should leave the guy alone. She had already bothered him long enough. So she had left.

That wasn't the best of ideas.

Along the way she had run into Renji. That was a disaster. One look at her and he was on her again. She would have screamed but the fact he looked ready to kill her left her no room for it. So with that, she was off on another cat and mouse game.

It took her a long time to lose him. She had to go all the way to her captain's office and hide behind his desk to get away from him. Renji had gone inside trying to follow her, but the confused and irritated look of her captain and the fact he couldn't see her in the room (as she was hiding right behind Toshiro's chair) made him quickly bolt out of there. Of course, he apologized on the way.

It would have been funny had she not been dead with exhausted and scared out of her wits at the annoyed look her captain sent her.

After that she came straight here. Now she was lying in bed, her body already shutting off and her mind preparing her for the long awaited sleep she so wanted and needed.

"Hinata~chan~" the obnoxiously loud noise filtered through the screen door.

Hinata groaned into her pillow and forced herself into a sitting position despite her protesting muscles. Sighing, she turned to the door and allowed the woman entrance to her room.

With a loud slam that irritated Hinata's ears, Rangiku waltzed in with a huge grin on her face. "Hey there! How are you doing today." She stopped in her tracks as her eyes observed Hinata's exhausted form. "You look like you've just run a marathon," she remarked.

_That's pretty close to the truth. _"Hello Rangiku-san. May I ask what brings you here to my room?"

As if a light bulb had been switched in her mind, she brightened with a smile on her face. In a flash she was right beside the girl, sitting down next to her. Hinata had no idea where it came from, but Rangiku suddenly pulled out a very, _very _familiar bag out of seemingly nowhere. Make that two, as she spotted the other one right behind the first. "Oh I just thought I'd return something to you. It is your's right?"

Hinata nodded, "I had thought you took them."

"Did you say something?"

She shook her head.

"Anyway, I love the gifts you got everyone. Especially mine." Rangiku pulled out a familiar item from her pants pocket and held it out so that she could see. Opening it up she smiled, "This is just adorable! I haven't got the chance to put it on yet, as I've been going around giving everyone their own gifts, but I just love it!"

Rangiku giggled rather girly and unclasped the small handle, putting the necklace around her neck. At the bottom of it gleamed a pretty golden watch with intricate designs on the front. Opening it back up, she showed off the small circular watch inside. "This necklace watch is just so cute!"

Hinata sighed, "I-I'm glad you liked it. I was a little worried as to what you'd think."

"Of course I like it," she grinned, wrapping her arms around the blunette, "Anything you give me is perfect!" She paused, "Well... maybe not _anything._"

Rangiku straightened, unclasping her arms around Hinata. "By the way, I noticed that you didn't get the captain a souvenir?"

"Oh, I-I actually already gave it to him. Right after I came back, I gave him and Captain Aizen their gifts," she told her.

"Really? What'd you get him? What'd you get him?" she asked eagerly.

"..."

.

.

.

Watching Rangiku rolling around the floor laughing her guts out was definitely surprising.

...and amusing.

Hinata had told Rangiku exactly what she'd gotten Toshiro and the woman immediately burst into a fit of laughter. So much so, she had doubled over and pounded her fist on the floor countless times as tears rolled down her face. Right after, she began rolling on the floor, unable to stop from the mad fit she was having.

The blunette herself laughed herself. What could she say, it was contagious.

Plus, the gift she'd gotten him were pretty funny.

"Oh my god, you're a genius! I bet you he was blushing furiously!" she said in between laughs.

Hinata just nodded, "Captain Aizen and I teased him relentlessly about it, too."

That brought out a new wave of laughter as the woman was once more on the ground after finally having calmed down. Hinata actually felt bad for her. She was gasping, her face completely red from the assault and she looked like she would faint soon from the lack of air.

"See, I told him he liked her. It's so obvious!" Rangiku said after long moment of gasping and coughing on the floor from her spasm. She was finally calmed down and sitting by Hinata again. "But I didn't know you and Captain Aizen knew about it. When did you find out?"

Hinata smiled sheepishly, "I'm not exactly sure. I guess I've known for a while now."

"Hmm," she hummed, rocking her body back and forth. She suddenly stopped and smirked deviously. Nudging Hinata, she leaned in closer and winked, "So, do you have a special someone you like?"

The blunette's face turned bright red and she fumbled to say something. "I-I-I... Th-that i-is... Um..."

"Oh? You do! You do! So, who is it?" She leaned in closer, their shoulders touching now. "Come on, tell me~ I promise I won't tell anyone~"

"Well," she fidgeted nervously, her face only getting darker with embarrassment as each second passed, "I-I... That is... I-It's not like a like _like _this person. B-but, uh... There is someone that I'm _interested _in."

"And who's that?" Rangiku insisted.

"H-He's someone that you m-may know," she muttered softly, burying her face in her hands.

"Come one, tell me already! I wanna know~ Who? Who?" she whined.

Hinata choked on her words as the image of the guy crossed her mind, "I... I... C-can we talk about this... Maybe later?"

"What?"

"I-I'll tell you tomorrow... I p-promise. P... please?" she squeaked.

"Aww~ But I wanna know now~" the busty woman whined.

Hinata just buried her face further in her hands. She was so embarrassed!

"Phmf. Mhmg mmmn," she uttered.

"Huh?"

"Hi igh Hoghihaho imphf," she repeated.

Rangiku pouted, "I can't understand you. Speak up!"

"I like Captain Ichimaru!" Hinata confessed, briefly pulling her face out of her hands before stuffing them back in.

"Eh?!"

This was so embarrassing to Hinata. Why couldn't she just die?

Rangiku scrutinized Hinata closely, as if seeing whether she was telling the truth or not. A thoughtful hum escaped her lips and she raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I feel you're not telling everything."

"Imph hmm frmmgh."

"What?" the older woman couldn't understand.

"Nevermind," Hinata pulled her face from her hands so that she could understand her better.

Rangiku pouted.

"Well..."

"Spill," the busty blonde demanded.

Hinata looked around the room, hoping she could find something to distract the older woman with. But no such luck. "IguessI'minterestedincaptainhitsugayaaswell."

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

It was silent for a moment, then to Hinata's embarrassment the woman burst out laughing like she had not too long ago. "I knew it! You like the captain~ You like the captain~" she said in a sing-song voice.

The teasing only increased Hinata's embarrassment by tenfold. "I-I-I-It's j-j-just a l-l-litt-l-le b-bit-t-t! A-A l-li-little!"

"You like the captain~ You like the captain~" Rangiku was relentless in her teasing.

Oh floor, can you please swallow her now? She swore she'd die of embarrassment if this continued any longer.

After the lieutenant was done in her teasing fest, which was a while, she calmed and patted Hinata's head, grinning like an idiot. Hinata made her promise not to tell anyone, to which she agreed. It took a little bit, but Hinata was able to convince Rangiku to leave by telling her she was tired and needed to wake up early tomorrow. With her gone, she released a relieved sigh. Sometimes she had to wonder what she did to deserve this.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Cookies to everyone that reviewed last chapter! *hands out cookies to everyone* You guys are the best! :D

**~Review~**


	12. Important AN! Please Read

**_Important Note!_**

_Currently I am working on eight to ten stories and I realize that for someone like me, who's currently in school and has some other stuff going on, that's a lot to work on. So I've put up a poll on my profile for which story(s) you'd like for me to mainly focus on. Please head there and vote or forever regret it when it's not the story you want. And if you can't vote on the poll, then a review would be just as welcomed. Thank you._


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